THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 
LOS  ANGELES 


<Z^+D 


IN  THE  LENA  DELTA 


A   NARRATIVE    OF   THE 


SEARCH   FOR   LIEUT.-COMMANDER   DeLONG 
AND  HIS   COMPANIONS 


FOLLOWED   BY 


AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  GREELY 
RELIEF  EXPEDITION 


A  PROPOSED  METHOD  OF  REACHING  THE 
NORTH  POLE 


GEORGE  W.  MELVILLE 

CHIEF  ENGINEER  U.  S.  N. 
EDITED   BY 

MELVILLE  PHILIPS 


WITH  MAPS  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS 


BOSTON 

HOUGHTON,  MIFFLIN  AND  COMPANY 

New  York  :  11  East  Seventeenth  Street 

<&lz  fttoetfi&e  pre£&  Camfcri&oe 

1885 


Copyright,  1884, 
By  HOUGHTON,  MIFFLIN  &  CO. 

All  rights  reserved. 


The  Rii-erside  Press,  Cambridge: 
Electrotyped  and  Printed  by  H.  0.  Houghton  &  Co. 


I 

EDITOR'S  PREFACE. 


If  it  be  true  —  and  Emerson  affirms  as  much  —  that 
great  deeds  deserve  a  fit  and  permanent  record,  then  as- 
suredly there  can  be  no  need  of  explanation,  much  less  of 
apology,  for  the  appearance  of  this  work.  "We  need 
books  of  this  tart  cathartic  virtue,"  wrote  our  New  Eng- 
land sage ;  and  so  the  editor  flatters  himself  for  having 
contributed  to  the  birth  of  this  one. 

The  world  knows  the  story  of  the  lost  Jeannette,  the 
luckless  cruise  and  tedious  drift  of  many  months,  the 
amazing  march  and  terrible  tribulation,  the  heroic  en- 
deavor and  sad  ending,  —  the  world  is  aware  of  all  this, 
to  be  sure,  because  in  all  the  world's  history  it  has  no 
parallel ;  and  no  matter  the  why  or  the  wherefore,  there 
is  yet  in  this  story  a  human  sympathy  that  cannot  be 
disguised,  an  abiding  interest  that  overlooks  the  ques- 
tion of  utility. 

Perhaps  there  will  be  readers  of  this  volume  who, 
already  acquainted  with  the  prominent  part  played  by 
our  author  in  the  many  adventures  attending  the  long 
ice -blockade  of  the  Jeannette,  may  have  expected  a 
fuller  account  of  that  interesting  period  than  will  be 
found  herein  ;  and  will  consequently  regard  our  brief 
narrative  of  it  as  insufficient  and  unsatisfactory.  Cer- 
tainly it  does  appear,  considering  the  few  pages  devoted 


IV  EDITOR'S  PREFACE. 

to  this  prolonged  and  remarkable  drift,  that  we  have 
treated  it  too  lightly  and  displayed  an  undue  haste  in 
transporting  the  reader  to  the  shores  of  Siberia. 

Not  all,  it  is  true,  of  the  Jeannette's  experiences  in 
the  ice  have  been  chronicled,  but  then  more  than  enough 
have  been  published  to  enable  the  reader  to  gain  an  ade- 
quate idea  of  the  wonderful  voyage  and  retreat,  and  in 
the  melancholy  "  ice-journals  "  1  of  Commander  De  Long 
these  may  be  fouud  embodied  in  their  most  permanent, 
authentic,  and  interesting  form.  Hence  it  was  deemed 
advisable  for  this  work,  after  affording  the  reader  a  run- 
ning survey  of  the  cruise  and  march,  to  begin  its  more 
elaborate  discourse  at  the  date  of  the  separation  of  the 
three  boats  in  the  gale  of  September  12,  1881.  The 
events,  indeed,  which  followed  can  have  no  competent 
historian  save  Chief  Engineer  Melville.  He  it  was  who 
directly  gave  rise  to  them,  and  was  the  prime  mover  and 
central  figure  in  all  the  exploits  "  In  the  Lena  Delta." 

The  greater  portion  of  the  author's  manuscript  was 
prepared  between  the  months  of  January  and  April  of 
this  year  (1884),  and  the  final  chapters  were  written  at 
sea  ;  for,  undaunted  by  his  previous  experiences,  he  sailed 
again  in  Arctic  waters  to  the  relief  of  Lieutenant  Greely ; 
and,  moreover,  he  herein  proposes,  upon  an  original  plan, 
to  attain  the  goal  that  has  baffled  the  daring  of  Parry 
and  of  Franklin. 

Cui  lono  ?  asks  the  utilitarian.  There  are  numerous 
and  well-known  advantages  that  would  result  from  the 
success  of  such  a  venture.  Aside  from  the  many  useful 
facts  that  would  be  established  concerning  the  laws  of 
storms  and  wind-waves,  the  flattening  of  the  earth  at  the 
1  Voyage  of  the  Jeannette,  etc.,  Houghton,  Mifflin  &  Co. 


EDITORS  PREFACE.  v 

pole  would  be  measured,  and  geographical  science  be 
plainly  benefited.  Additional  information,  too,  would  be 
gained  in  astronomy,  meteorology,  ocean  physics,  and 
natural  history,  a  more  thorough  knowledge  of  which 
would  certainly  add  directly  or  indirectly  to  the  com- 
fort and  safety  of  mankind. 

As  to  the  rest,  I  refer  the  reader  to  the  theory  itself, 
merely  observing  that  —  "  Prejudice,  which  man  pre- 
tends to  hate,  is,"  according  to  Carlyle,  "  his  absolute 
lawgiver.  .  .  .  Thus,  let  but  a  rising  of  the  sun,  let  but 
a  creation  of  the  world,  happen  twice,  and  it  ceases  to 
be  marvelous,  to  be  noteworthy  or  noticeable." 

In  other  words,  let  but  Chief  Engineer  Melville  reach 
the  North  Pole,  and  besides  the  scientific  benefits  issuing 
from  the  event  will  doubtless  be  another  and  perhaps 
more  important  one  to  the  world  at  large  —  his  success, 
in  his  own  words,  "  may  prevent  other  fools  from  going 
there." 

MELVILLE   PHILIPS. 

October  16,  1884. 


CONTESTS. 


PAGE 

Editok's  Preface • iii 

IN  THE  LENA  DELTA. 


CHAPTER  I. 

OFF   FOR   THE   POLE. 

The  Jeannette  Expedition. —  Our  Departure.  —  Unalaska. —  St. 
Michael's.  —  The  Tchuchees.  —  Nordenskjbld.  —  Frozen  in.  — 
Herald  Island 1 

CHAPTER  II. 

DRIFTING. 

Shipboard  Economy.  —  A  Frozen  Wave.  —  Lead-Poisoning.  — 
My  Visit  to  Henrietta  Island 11 

CHAPTER  HI. 

CAST   UPON   THE   ICE. 

Life  in  the  Upper  Cabin.  — Our  Situation.  —  The  Jeannette 
goes  down. —  Camping.  —  Marching 27 

CHAPTER  IT. 

RETREATING   OVER   THE   PACK. 

Game.  —  Retrogression.  —  Beans.  —  Progress  at  Last.  —  Ben- 
nett Island.  —  In  the  Boats.  —  Our  Dogs.  —  Threading  the 
Leads 40 

CHAPTER  V. 

VOYAGE   OF   THE   WHALE-BOAT. 

Weathering  the  Gale.  —  Our  Sea- Anchor.  —  Siberia  in  Sight    .     66 


Till  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

ON   THE   LENA   DELTA. 

Sailing  up  Stream.  —  The  Hut.  —  Our  Frozen  Limbs.  —  Meet- 
ing with  the  Natives. —  Learning  their  Language 77 

CHAPTER  VII. 

UP   THE   LENA. 

My  Unsuccessful  Effort  "to  go  it  alone."  —  Vasilli  Kool  Gar. 

—  My  Duck  Diplomacy.  —  Fears  of  Scurvy.  —  Arii,  the  De- 
serted Village.  —  Spiridon,  the  Ugly  Starosti.  —  Siberian  Ice- 
Cellars.  —  Jamaveloch 94 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

AT   JAMAVELOCH. 

Nicolai  Chagra. —  An  Impressive  Pantomime. —  The  "Red 
Fiend."  —  Over- Ripe  but  Green  Geese. —  Devotions. —  A 
Balogan  described 110 

CHAPTER  IX. 

SIBERIAN   LIFE. 

Balked  again.  —  The  Balogan  Americanski.  —  A  Row  with  the 
Starosti.  —  Catching  Fish.  —  Deer  and  Geese  Hunting  .     .     .123 

CHAPTER   X. 

KUSMA   TO    OUR   RESCUE. 

Incidents  in  Our  Balogan.  —  Kusma. — Faithless  Spiridon  .     .134 
CHAPTER  XI. 

A   STEP   FORWARD. 

Kusma's  Coming.  —  Nindemann  and  Noros.  —  I  start  for  Belun. 

—  Siberian  Dog-  Sleds.  —  A  Storm.  —  Ku  Mark  Surt     .     .    .  142 

CHAPTER  XH. 

AT   BELUN. 

I  am  admired.  —  Deer-Sleds.  —  Buruloch.  —  Native  Gossips. — 
Meeting  with  Nindemann  and  Noros.  —  Their  Piteous  Story. 

—  The  Malinki  Pope.  —  An  Unexpected  Visit  from  Bartlett. 

—  Back  to  Buruloch 158 


CONTENTS.  ix 

CHAPTER  Xni. 

SEARCHING   FOR   DE   LONG. 

Bieshoff .  —  Poor  Jack  Cole.  —  I  start  in  Quest  of  De  Long.  — 
At  Ku  Mark  Surt  again.  —  How  to  eat  Raw  Fish.  —  The 
Maiden  with  the  Lively  Tresses.  —  Bulcour.  —  "  The  Place  of 
the  Three  Crosses."  —  Sleeping  in  the  Snow.  —  Mat  Vay.  — 
A  Clue 170 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

LOSING   THE   TRAIL. 

Treachery.  —  I  make  a  Cannibalistic  Threat.  —  Cass  Carta.  — 
A  Late  Supper  of  Deer  Hoofs  and  Horns.  —  Benumbed.  — 
Another  Night  in  the  Snow.  —  "  Balogan  soak!" — North 
Belun.  —  I  dive  into  a  Hut  and  "receive."  —  Two  Precious 
Bumagas. — A  Yakut  Bride.  —  Sleeping  in  Close  Quarters. 

—  An  Ignoble  Economy.  —  Definite  Tidings 184 

CHAPTER  XV. 

A   TRIP   TO   THE   ARCTIC   SHORE. 

Ballok.  —  The  Boos  Byral.  —  The  Cache.  —  I  am  hoodwinked 
again.  —  Topographical  Revelations.  —  Myacks.  —  Our  De- 
spised Mock  and  Tas.  —  A  Coveted  Demijohn.  —  Phadee 
Achin 201 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

STRUGGLING   "WITH   BOREAS. 

Daring  the  Storm.  —  The  Suffering  of  the  Dogs.  —  At  Macha. 

—  "  Ballook  soak !  "  —  Foot-Prints.  —  Straying.  —  Sister  Ga- 
nak.  —  Odorous  Offal  for  Supper.  —  Remorseless  Weather.  — 
Qu  Vina.  —  More  Offal.  —  Vos  Crusina.  —  A  Bone  Cache.  — 
River  Bergs.  —  Seeking  Refuge  in  the  Snow.  — Breakfasting 

on  Putrid  Deer  Bones 211 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

END   OF   MY  FIRST   SEARCH. 

Forcing  the  Journey. —  "  Oo,  oo."  —  Bulcour.  — Rough  Re- 
pairing. —  "  Paddy  "  despairs.  —  But  quickly  revives.  —  And 
performs  Wonders.  —  Ku  Mark  Surt.  —  Buruloch.  —  My  Deer 
Train.  —  On  to  Belun.  —  Tedious  Progress.  —  Ajaket.  — 
Belun.  —  Epatchieff 228 


x  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XVIH. 

FROM   BELUN   TO   VERKERANSK. 

My  Record  of  the  Journey.  —  Minus  45°  Reaumur.  —  A  Rus- 
sian's Views  of  America  and  her  Institutions.  —  Kasharofski. 
—  M.  Leon.  —  My  Letter  of  Instructions.  —  A  Visit  to  the 
Hut  of  the  Exiles. — Leon's  Case.  —  Life  at  Verkeransk. — 
Facts  about  the  Political  Exiles 240 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

FROM  VERKERANSK  TO  YAKUTSK. 

Penavitch.  —  Doctor  Buali.  —  His  Sad  Story.  —  Those  Terrible 
Nihilists.  —  "  A  Dead  Nihilist  and  a  Dead  Czar." — Happy 
Lovers.  —  I  take  a  Remarkable  Russian  Bath,  and  a  Very 
Bad  Cold.  —  Off  to  Yakutsk.  —  Siberian  Scenery.  —  The 
Horse  and  his  Troubles.  —  A  Queer  Predicament.  —  Kange- 
rack. —  Crossing  the  Divide. —  A  Dangerous  Descent. —  A 
Tunguse  Home.  —  Exasperating  Yamsliicks.  —  A  Sickening 
Sight.  —  Native  Grist-Mills.  —  A  Learned  Exile.  —  The 
Scaups 253 

CHAPTER  XX. 

AT    YAKUTSK. 

The  "  Balogan  Americanski." — General  Tschernaieff.  —  How 
he  received  me.  —  Mr.  Danenhower  and  Party  set  out  for 
America.  — Instructions  from  the  Department.  —  Praesnik.  — 
Preparations  for  my  Second  Search.  —  Yakutsk  Society.  — 
New  Year's  Eve.  —  Nova  Goat.  —  Tbe  Bishop  receives.  — 
Masquerading. — Bulky  Money 272 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

NORTH   AGAIN. 

Off  for  Verkeransk.  —  A  Climatic  Surprise.  —  The  Journey  to 
Belun.  —  Arrangements  for  the  Search.  —  A  Rough  Ride  to 
Jamaveloch.  —  Futile  Attempts  to  dispatch  Fish.  —  A  "  Cor- 
ner "  in  Fish.  —  Indignant  Coperts. —  The  Gamblers  of  the 
Lena  Delta.  —  Paying  off  Old  Scores.  —  Humbled  Nicolai 
and  Repentant  Spiridon 283 


CONTENTS.  xi 

CHAPTER   XXII. 

STORM-BOUND. 

Arctic  Weather.  —  Pedestrian  Difficulties.  —  Lost  in  the  Vil- 
lage. —  Outstripping  the  Typhoon.  —  Continuance  of  the 
Same  Old  Gale.  —  A  Yakut  Solution  of  a  Financial  Problem. 

—  Off  for  Am.  —  Chul-Boy-Hoy.  —  Golivar  Compass.  — 
Turkanach.  —  An  Afflicted  Family.  —  Ordono.  —  Qu  Vina. 

—  At  Cass  Carta.  —  Our  Palatial  Quarters.  —  In  Distress.  — 
Timely  Relief.  —  Together  at  Last.  —  The  Art  of  Broiling 
Steaks.  —  A  Reminiscence.  —  A  Twenty-Pound  Drink.  — 
Yakut  and  Tchuchee  Filthiness 297 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

FINDING   THE   BODIES. 

Getting  Affairs  in  Shape.  —  My  Map  of  the  Delta.  —  Searching 
for  Ericksen's  Hut.  —  Revelations.  —  Contending  with  the 
Storm.  —  The  Yakut  Fashion  of  Lighting  Fires.  —  A  Miser- 
able Night.  —  Which  Cape  ?  —  A  Clue.  —  The  Myack.  — 
Found.  — De  Long's  Ice- Journal  and  Its  Sad  Entries.  — Posi- 
tions of  the  Bodies.  —  De  Long's  Pistol.  —  A  False  Report.  — 
Dr.  Ambler.  —  Appearance  of  the  Dead.  —  "  Dwee  Pomree  "319 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE   BURIAL. 

Bringing  in  the  Dead.  —  Writing  under  Difficulties.  —  Selecting 
a  Burial  Ground.  —  "  Around  the  Corner."— The  Finding 
of  Lee  and  Kaack.  —  Monument  Hill.  —  Constructing  the 
Coffin  and  Cross.  —  Nindemann  discovers  Ericksen's  Hut.  — 
Erecting  the  Tomb-Cairn.  —  The  Simple  Obsequies.  —  A  Su- 
perstitious Soldatski.  —  A  Yakut  Bumaga 337 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

SEARCHING    FOR    CHIPP. 

Mr.  Gilder.  —  Starting  the  Records  off.  —  Kigolak. —  Sava. — 
Sabas  Kokoo.  —  Turak.  —  Jaolak.  —  The  "  Little  Foxes."  — 
Chanker.  — The  Alanek  Country  and  Natives.  —  The  Village 
of  Alanek.  —  The  Fate  of  Pronchishcheff.  —  A  Trip  to  the 
Graves  of  Pronchishcheff' s  Party.  — A  Coastwise  Search.  — 


xii  CONTENTS. 

Yakut  Divorce  Laws.  —  Our  Wretched  Dogs.  —  Koobalak. — 
At  Cass  Carta  again.  —  Nindernann's  and  Bartlett's  Searches. 

—  Journeying  back  to  Jainaveloch.  —  Native  Coffins  and 
Mode  of  Burial 350 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

MY   FINAL    SEARCH    TO    THE    JANA    RIVER. 

The  Rodgers.  —  Mr.  Gilder's  Culpable  Conduct.  —  Harber  and 
Schuetze.  —  Noros  and  Jackson. — Mr.  Larsen. — Jackson's 
Vandalism.  —  Eating  Wood.  —  Shuniomea.  —  Oceansk.  — 
Mammoth  Ivory.  —  Off  for  Verkeransk.  —  The  Exiles  once 
more.  —  A  Letter  from  Berry.  —  On  Horseback  to  Yakutsk. 

—  Our  Miserable  Equipment  and  Ride  to  Kangerack.  —  The 
Rapid  Thaw.  —  "  Jacksoned." — The  Experience  of  Bubo- 
koff.  —  Kolinkin  and  Gilder.  —  Siberian  Cattle 367 

CHAPTER   XXVII. 

THROUGH    SIBERIA. 

Meeting  with  Berry  and  Hunt.  —  In  the  Valley  of  the   Aldan. 

—  "Dismal  John."  —  Traveling  through  tbe  Flooded  Dis- 
trict.—  A  Tunguse  Family  en  route.  —  Crossing  the   Aldan. 

—  A  Picturesque  Scene.  —  Arrival  at  Yakutsk.  —  On  Board 
the  Pioneer.  —  Mosquitoes.  —  Castellated  Cliffs.  —  Passing 
the  Harber  Party.  —  Copert  Barges.  —  The  Voyage  to  Ka- 
rinsk.  —  On  the  Constantine  and  the  Tow-Boats.  —  In  the 
Tarantass.  —  "Ivan"  the  Fictitious  Friend.  —  Irkutsk. — 
The  Story  of  my  Watch 380 

CHAPTER  XXVIH. 

HOMEWARD   BOUND. 

Governor  Anutchin.  —  On  to  Tomsk.  —  A  Current  Ferry-Boat. 

—  Agricultural  Settlements.  —  Rascally  Sfanc/a-Keepers  and 
Yamskicks.  —  Their  Methods.  —  Exiles  in  Droves.  —  At 
Tomsk.  —  The  "  Hotel  Million."  —  Attentive  Mr.  Hilden- 
berger.  —  On  the  River  Obi.  —  Tobolsk.  —  Tuamen.  —  Float- 
ing Jails.  —  Ekaterinborg.  —  Perm.  —  Nijni  Novgorod  and 
the  Great  Bazaar.  —  Moscow.  —  St.  Petersburg.  —  Our  Re- 
ception. —  A  Day  at  Peterhof.  —  Home 397 


CONTENTS.  xiii 

THE   GREELY  RELIEF   EXPEDITION. 


CHAPTER  I. 

NORTHWARD   ONCE    MORE. 


Failure  of  the  Neptune,  Proteus,  and  Yantic  to  Relieve  Greely. 
—  My  Proposal.  —  The  Plan  and  Fitting  Out  of  the  Expe- 
dition. —  St.  John's.  —  Disco  Island 414 


CHAPTER   II. 

RACING   IN   THE    ARCTIC    WATERS. 

Upernavik.  —  The  Whalers.  — Captain  Walker's  Story. —  The 
Bear  Aground.  —  Racing.  —  Nipped.  —  The   Duck  Islands. 

—  Off  Cape  York.  —  Conical  Rock 427 

CHAPTER    III. 

THE    RESCUE. 

Saunders  Island.  —  Cape  Parry.  —  Littleton  Island.  —  Finding 
the  Records.  —  The  Greely  Party.  —  Scenes  at  Camp  Clay. 

—  Preserving  the  Dead 445 

CHAPTER  IV. 

THE    RETURN    VOYAGE. 

Reminiscences.  —  Foulke  Fiord.  —  The  Inconstant  Esquimaux. 

—  The   Burial   of   Frederic     Christiansen.  —  St.   John's.  — 
Portsmouth.  —  New  York 461 


A  PROPOSED  METHOD  OF  REACHING  THE  NORTH 
POLE 471 


APPENDIX. 

The  Melville  Sled 485 

Equipment  of  Arctic  Expeditions 487 


LIST   OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Page. 

Portrait  of  Chief  Engineer  Melville Frontispiece. 

The  Jeannette  leaving  San  Francisco 1 

Scenes  on  the  Voyage  of  the  Jeannette 24 

Taking  Possession  of  Bennett  Island 44 

The  Separation  of  the  Boats  in  the  Gale 64 

Exterior  and  Interior  Views  of  Exile  Houses 112 

De  Long  and  Partt  Wading  Ashore 144 

The  Kescue  of  Nindemann  and  Noros 164 

Native  Houses  and  Station  in  the  Delta 186 

Starting  off  in  Search  of  De  Long 224 

The  City  of  Yakutsk.     (From  a  photograph.) 272 

Finding  the  Bodies  of  De  Long  and  his  Companions   .    .     .  330 

Monument  Hill,  Lena  Delta 344 

Landing  Lieutenant  Greely  at  Lady  Franklin  Bay    .     .    .415 

Incidents  in  the  Eescue  of  the  Greely  Party 456 

A  "Kit"  of  Arctic  Clothing 488 

MAPS. 

The  Lena  Delta  :  Showing  all  the  localities  mentioned  in  the  text ; 
the  routes  taken  by  the  De  Long  and  Melville  parties,  and  by  the 
search  parties ~08 

The  Course  of  the  Jeannette  :  Showing  also  the  route  taken 
by  the  ship's  crew  after  the  sinking  of  the  vessel,  and  the  course 
of  the  Vega  (1878) 253 

The  Channels  North  of  Baffin's  Bay:  Showing  the  highest 
points  reached  by  the  Greely  and  Nares  expeditions ;  the  route 
taken  by  Lieutenant  Greely  in  the  retreat ;  the  Neptune's  highest 
point  in  the  attempt  to  rescue  in  1882,  etc.,  etc.  (From  the  latest 
Government  authorities.) 432 

The  Circumpolar  Eegion  :  Showing  the  highest  points  reached 
in  different  longitudes  ;  the  probable  drift  of  the  Jeannette  if  she 
had  not  sunk;  Melville's  proposed  route  to  the  pole,  etc.,  etc.      .  476 


IN  THE  LENA  DELTA. 


CHAPTER  I. 
OFF  FOR  THE  POLE. 


The  Jeannette  Expedition.  —  Our  Departure.  —  Unalaska.  —  St. 
Michael's.  —  The  Tchuchees.  —  Nordenskjbld.  —  Frozen  in.  — 
Herald  Island. 

The  Kuro-SMwo  (the  black  current  of  Japan)  runs 
around  the  Japanese  Islands,  threads  its  way  among  the 
Kurile  Islands,  passes  eastward  to  Kamschatka,  and 
thence  northward  to  Behring  Strait,  where  it  separates 
into  two  branches.  The  one  branch  seeks  the  west  coast 
of  North  America,  and  then  runs  south,  tempering  the 
atmosphere  as  it  goes,  until  it  is  lost  in  the  warm  water 
at  the  equator.  The  other  branch  passes  into  the  Arctic 
Ocean,  streaming  up  into  the  northeast,  and  was  lately 
regarded  as  one  of  the  thermometric  gateways  to  the 
Pole. 

Previous  to  the  Jeannette's  voyage  no  polar  expedi- 
tion had  ever  set  out  by  way  of  Behring  Strait,  although 
one  had  indeed  been  projected  by  a  French  lieutenant, 
but  was  prevented  by  the  breaking  out  of  the  Franco- 
Prussian  War ;  and  a  high  latitude,  it  is  true,  had  been 
gained  by  the  search  ships  of  the  English  squadron 
which  hoped  to  intercept  Sir  John  Franklin  in  case  he 
was  successful  in  making  the  Northwest  Passage. 

The  object  of  the  Jeannette  expedition  was  thus  to 
l 


2  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

reach  the  North  Pole  by  following  up  the  Kuro-Shiivo  ; 
but  it  should  be  remembered  that  our  first  cruise  (which 
unhappily  proved  both  first  and  last)  was  only  designed 
at  the  time  to  be  an  experimental  voyage.  So,  resting 
upon  this  brief  review  of  the  motive  of  our  luckless  en- 
terprise, I  shall  now  proceed  to  chronicle  it. 

All  things  being  in  readiness,  on  the  8th  of  July, 
1879,  the  sun  shining  clear  and  strong  on  the  beautiful 
bay,  we  cleared  from  the  Golden  Gate,  accompanied  by 
the  San  Francisco  Yacht  Club. 

Never  was  departure  more  auspicious.  It  was  a  gala 
day  for  the  good  people  of  'Frisco ;  the  harbor  was  alive 
with  their  pleasure  craft,  and  right  royal  was  the  fare- 
well they  tendered  our  adventurous  ship.  Cheers  rang 
out  from  the  crowded  wharves  ;  the  masts  and  decks  of 
the  myriad  vessels  on  the  bay  teemed  with  jolly  tars, 
huzzaing  and  firing  guns  with  a  deafening  effect ;  and 
as  we  steamed  abreast  of  the  Presidio,  a  heavy  salute 
boomed  forth  from  the  fortification  that  seemed  a  solemn 
amen  to  the  godspeeds  of  the  people. 

Once  clear  of  the  Gate,  we  headed  about  and  left  a 
straight  wake  for  the  island  of  Unalaska.  Unlike  the 
buoyant  hearts  of  her  company,  the  vessel  was  weighted 
down  below  the  ordinary  line  of  immersion,  and  conse- 
quently our  progress  was  slow.  The  fair  weather  that 
attended  our  departure  continued  in  the  Pacific  until 
the  Aleutian  Group  was  approached,  when  fogs  set  in, 
and,  by  the  time  the  Aqueton  Pass  was  reached,  grew 
so  dense  that  it  became  necessary  to  anchor  and  await 
their  lifting.  Even  then  the  breakers  had  been  danger- 
ously neared,  for  though  the  islands  were  invisible,  the 
sea-birds  could  be  distinctly  heard  cawing  on  the  rocks. 

At  last  the  fog  lifted  from  around  the  Jeannette,  and, 
after  a  pleasant  voyage  of  twenty-five  days,  the  island  of 
Unalaska  hove  in  sight. 

Here,  through  the  kindness  of  the  Alaska  Fur  Com- 


OFF  FOR    THE  POLE.  3 

pany,  a  large  number  of  deer-skins,  seal-skin  blankets, 
and  other  furs,  to  be  made  up  for  use  during  the  expedi- 
tion, were  added  to  our  cargo. 

With  a  fresh  supply  of  coal  we  then  departed  from 
Unalaska,  and,  crossing  the  shallow  sea  of  Behring,  ar- 
rived safely  at  St.  Michael's,  in  Norton  Sound,  —  an  old 
Russian  trading-post,  with  a  dilapidated  block-house,  and 
several  ancient  cast-iron  guns,  which  were  fired  in  honor 
of  the  Jeannette's  arrival.  It  was  here  that  the  schooner 
Fanny  A.  Hyde  was  to  meet  the  ship  with  our  last  supply 
of  coal ;  but,  as  she  was  considerably  overdue,  the  pro- 
visions were  restowed,  and  the  undressed  skins  sent  on 
shore  to  be  made  into  clothing  by  the  natives. 

Here,  too,  Alexia,  our  faithful  hunter,  and  his  compan- 
ion, the  womanly-looking  Iniguin,  joined  the  ship.  Poor 
Alexia,  after  a  grand  palaver  with  the  head  man  of  the 
village,  shipped  as  hunter  and  dog-driver.  The  evening 
of  our  departure,  the  natives  thronged  on  board  to  bid 
their  friends  farewell.  Alexia,  dressed  in  "  store  clothes  " 
furnished  by  the  Alaska  Company's  agent,  with  a  tile- 
topped  Russian  hat  encircled  by  a  broad  red  band,  was 
accompanied  by  his  wife,  small,  shy,  and  pretty,  and  their 
little  boy.  Clinging  together  hand  in  hand,  they  wan- 
dered and  wondered  with  all  the  curiosity  of  children 
about  the  ship,  until  at  last  with  many  doubts  and  fears 
they  affectionately  parted,  and  forever. 

Attended  by  our  convoy,  we  now  started  across  Nor- 
ton Sound,  a  large  sheet  of  water  making  westward  into 
the  eastern  coast  of  Siberia.  During  the  passage  a  heavy 
gale  was  encountered,  affording  us  an  opportunity  to  ob- 
serve the  vessel's  strength  and  action.  The  shallow 
ocean  was  troubled  and  choppy,  and  at  times  great  seas 
would  roll  completely  over  the  deeply-freighted  ship  as 
over  a  sunken  rock  ;  but  Gibraltar  itself  was  not  more 
firm.  The  day  following  the  gale,  we  drew  near  to 
Lutke,  a  beautiful  harbor  just  to  the  southward  of  East 


4  IN  THE  LENA  DELTA. 

Cape,  where  American  whalemen  often  resort  to  secure 
recruits  from  the  native  Tchuchees  before  proceeding  on 
the  cruise  north  of  Behring  Strait,  or  after  "  the  catch  " 
to  "  try  out "  their  oil.  As  the  ship  stood  in  towards 
the  mouth  of  the  harbor,  huts  were  descried  on  the  hill- 
side;  and  shortly  after  two  bidaras  —  large  walrus-skin 
boats,  somewhat  similar  to  the  oomiaks  of  the  Green- 
landers  —  were  seen  putting  off  from  the  shore  and  ap- 
proaching us  at  a  rapid  rate.  They  contained  a  dozen 
or  more  natives,  tall,  greasy,  brawny  fellows,  none 
weighing  less  than  a  hundred  and  eighty  pounds. 

The  two  bidaras  pulled  alongside,  and  the  natives 
boarding  the  ship,  inquired,  in  broken  English  learned 
from  the  whalemen,  if  we  came  to  hunt  the  walrus  or  the 
whale  ;  if  so,  they  wished  to  engage  themselves  for  the 
cruise.  To  prove  their  ability,  they  named  the  various 
whaling  captains  with  whom  they  had  served,  and  con- 
cluded with  the  more  important  information  that  Nor- 
denskj  old's  ship,  the  Vega,  had  been  there  in  the  bay  of 
St.  Lawrence,  and  had  wintered  beyond  the  peninsula 
in  Kiolutian  Bay,  where  they  had  visited  her. 

And  now  the  time  was  come  to  push  off  from  the 
last  vestige  of  civilization.  The  remainder  of  the  coal 
and  supplies  was  transferred  from  the  schooner  to  the 
ship,  and  on  the  evening  of  the  27th  day  of  August  the 
two  vessels  stood  out  of  the  bay.  Once  clear  of  the 
shoals,  we  parted,  —  the  Fanny  A.  Hyde  sailing  to  the 
south,  the  Jeannette  to  the  north,  —  and  the  cruise  had 
begun  in  earnest. 

During  the  night  we  passed  through  the  strait  of  Behr- 
ing, —  between  East  Cape  (the  most  easterly  cape  of  Si- 
beria) and  the  Diomed  Islands,  three  rocky  little  islets, 
the  stepping-stones  between  two  continents,  —  perhaps 
the  foundations  for  that  future  bridge  over  which  may 
run  the  engines  of  an  all-rail  route  from  Cape  Horn  to 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.     A  sharp  lookout  was  kept  for 


OFF  FOR    THE  POLE.  5 

natives  as  the  ship  headed  westward  along  the  coast  of 
Siberia,  towards  Cape  Serdzekamen  ("  Heart  of  Stone  "). 
Ice-hills  and  snow-gorged  valleys  were  no  longer  a  nov- 
elty ;  bat  very  cheerless  and  inhospitable  looked  the 
bleak  black  rocks,  with  no  living  thing  in  sight  save  a  few 
sea-birds  and  an  occasional  walrus  or  seal.  At  length  a 
collection  of  huts  made  their  appearance,  and  the  ship 
was  run  as  close  to  the  shore  as  possible.  Captain  De 
Long,  with  Alexia  as  interpreter  and  Mr.  Dunbar  as 
pilot,  attempted  a  landing ;  but  the  heavy  sea  rolling 
and  breaking  over  the  ice-foot  compelled  him  to  return. 
The  natives,  knowing  quieter  water,  then  came  to  the 
ship  in  their  skin  boats.  But  Alexia  was  unable  to  un- 
derstand them,  save  that  they  wanted  biscuits,  molasses, 
and  rum,  especially  rum  ;  so  no  additional  information 
of  Nordenskjold  was  obtained.  Further  on,  another  vil- 
lage was  sighted,  and  Lieutenant  Chipp  sent  on  shore. 
He  effected  a  landing,  and  through  an  old  woman  who 
formerly  lived  on  King's  Island  in  Norton  Sound,  and 
spoke  the  same  tongue  as  Alexia,  learned  that  the  Vega 
had  wintered  in  a  bay  still  to  the  west,  but  had  passed 
safely  out  of  the  ice  toward  the  east,  in  the  spring. 

Sailing  westward,  the  seal  and  walrus  became  more 
plentiful.  Numerous  natives  approached  the  ship,  using 
with  considerable  dexterity  bladders  or  floats  to  prevent 
their  light  skin  boats  from  capsizing,  or  as  fenders  to 
ward  them  off  from  the  ship's  side,  and  as  buoys  when 
overladen  with  the  spoils  of  the  chase.  In  the  vicinity 
of  the  Vega's  winter-quarters,  a  large  village  was  ob- 
served, and  a  party  was  sent  on  shore  in  command  of 
Lieutenant  Chipp.  After  a  few  hours  the  boat  returned, 
bringing  a  number  of  articles,  such  as  tin  cans,  Swedish 
money,  and  coat-buttons,  which  the  natives — who  men- 
tioned the  names  of  certain  of  the  Vega's  officers,  exhib- 
iting presents  they  had  received  from  them,  and  who  par- 
ticularly prized  the  refuse  tin  cans  —  said  were  relics  of 


6  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

Nordenskj old's  stay  there.  A  letter  sewed  up  in  canvas 
was  given  to  the  chief,  with  the  request  that  he  deliver 
it  to  the  first  vessel  that  passed  that  way. 

Having  now  executed  the  instructions  of  the  Navy 
Department  as  to  Nordenskjold  and  his  party,  we  pushed 
northward  to  Kiolutian  Bay,  keeping  constantly  under 
way  to  prevent  the  formation  of  ice  around  the  ship,  and 
skirting  along  the  edge  of  the  pack,  the  density  of  which 
gradually  forced  us  to  the  east.  Working  in  and  out  of 
the  leads  of  water  for  several  days,  and  preserving  as 
northerly  a  course  as  possible,  Herald  Island  was  at 
length  sighted  on  the  evening  of  September  4th.  Every 
opening  in  the  pack  with  the  least  northing  to  it  had 
now  been  tried,  with  the  same  fruitless  result  of  being 
crowded  off  to  the  eastward  ;  so  that  there  was  positively 
nothing  else  to  be  done  than  to  push  boldly  in  towards 
Wrangel  Land  (long  regarded  as  a  large  continent  ex- 
tending to  the  Pole),  and  seek  a  harbor  during  the  fall, 
winter,  and  spring.  The  absurd  question  has  often  been 
asked,  "  Why  did  the  Jeannette  enter  the  ice-pack  ? " 
The  answer  is  this  :  she  was  an  Arctic  ship  bound  on  a 
polar  voyage,  and  could  not  be  expected  to  attain  the 
Pole  without  encountering  ice.  The  best  authorities 
pointed  out  a  continent  connecting  Wrangel  Land  with 
Greenland  ;  the  currents  setting  among  the  islands  to 
the  Atlantic  Ocean  were  well  known  ;  the  rotation  of  the 
earth  should  carry  all  things  from  west  to  east ;  and  it 
was  fair  to  presume  that,  if  caught  in  the  ice  north  of 
Herald  Island,  the  ship  would  drift  on  the  coast  of 
Wrangel  Land,  or  to  the  northeast  toward  Prince  Pat- 
rick Land. 

But  "  the  best  laid  schemes  o'  mice  and  men  gang  aft 
a-gley."  As  we  crowded  to  the  west,  the  ice  set  in  be- 
hind and  effectually  cut  off  all  chances  of  retreat,  unless 
the  autumn  gales  and  rolling  seas  might  break  up  the 
floe.    A  whale-ship  was  observed  looking  for  game  along 


OFF  FOR    THE  POLE.  7 

the  edge  of  the  pack,  and  it  was  afterward  regretted 
that  she  had  not  been  spoken  for  the  mail.  But  we 
pushed  slowly  ahead,  with  the  aid  of  the  hoisting-engine, 
making  a  warp,  until  the  6th  of  September  ;  when  the 
hummocks  and  masses  of  ice  became  solid  during  the 
night,  and  the  ship  was  frozen  in  with  a  list  to  starboard 
at  an  angle  of  ten  or  twelve  degrees,  rendering  motion 
on  the  decks  or  sleeping  in  the  berths  very  uncomfort- 
able. Only  once  was  she  freed,  and  then  but  for  an 
hour  or  two,  until  the  final  crush  in  June,  1881. 

The  crew  now  dispersed  themselves  in  merry  squads 
upon  the  floe,  and  the  dogs  were  turned  loose.  Each 
man  was  armed  with  a  pike  or  staff  with  which  to  steady 
himself  when  leaping  from  hummock  to  hummock,  or  as 
a  protection  when  slipping  into  ice-holes  —  a  frequent  oc- 
currence. Bears  were  seen,  but  they  kept  at  a  safe  dis- 
tance during  the  daytime,  and  would  make  off  in  hot 
haste  when  pursued  by  the  "  whoop,  hurrah !  "  of  the 
crew.  At  night,  the  ice  —  as  they  are  better  named  by 
Norwegian  and  Dane,  instead  of  polar  —  bears  would  cir- 
cumambulate the  vessel  many  times,  critically  examining 
the  stout  hawser  that  held  her  to  a  large  ice-anchor,  and 
regularly  escaping  the  notice  of  the  watch,  and  of  forty- 
one  dogs,  who  were  shy  and  timid  until  they  had  tasted 
the  good  things  that  followed  a  successful  bear  hunt. 
And  a  most  exciting  sport  is  this.  The  pack  of  dogs  run 
yelping  and  snapping  at  the  heels  of  poor  Ursus,  who 
dashes  across  the  floe  in  the  direction  of  rougher  coun- 
try or  open  water  with  the  ungracefulness  of  a  cow  but 
the  speed  of  a  deer,  causing  the  snow  to  fly  like  feathers 
in  a  gale,  and  leaving  dogs  and  hunters  far  in  the  rear. 
Often  his  curiosity  will  get  the  better  of  his  judgment, 
and  he  will  stop  to  inspect  these  strange  creatures  that 
dare  put  him  to  flight ;  for  he  is  monarch  of  the  polar 
regions,  seal  and  walrus  falling  an  easy  prey  to  one  blow 
of  his  powerful  fore-paw.     Raising  himself  on  his  hind- 


8  IN  THE  LENA  DELTA. 

legs,  he  surveys  the  howling  pack  half  in  wonder,  half 
in  contempt,  until  the  fleetest  hunter  may  come  within 
range,  when  Ursus,  perceiving  a  new  and  more  formida- 
ble enemy,  drops  on  all-fours,  and  is  off  again.  Selecting 
a  level  amphitheatre  surrounded  by  high  hummocks, 
where  he  imagines  himself  secure,  he  makes  a  final  stand, 
and  woe  betide  the  dogs ;  for  he  is  a  wonderful  boxer, 
and  every  blow  is  a  fatal  one.  But  the  Remington 
breech-loader  comes  into  play  ;  the  slaughter  of  the  canine 
foe  is  checked,  and  poor  Ursus  is  dead.  In  a  hunt  such 
as  this,  Mr.  Dunbar  killed  a  bear  weighing  about  one 
thousand  pounds,  and  having  a  coat  of  snowy  whiteness, 
with  a  single  shot ;  the  only  time  that  feat  was  accom- 
plished during  the  cruise. 

Meanwhile  the  Jeannette  had  been  steadily  drifting 
toward  Herald  Island,  and  as  it  was  quite  certain  that  she 
would  be  carried  by  it  to  the  northwest,  it  became  impor- 
tant that  a  landing  should  be  attempted,  in  order  to  erect 
a  cairn  and  leave  records  there.  For  this  purpose,  a 
party  consisting  of  Lieutenant  Chipp,  Mr.  Dunbar,  and 
myself,  with  Alexia  as  dog-driver,  was  fitted  out,  and  pro- 
visioned for  a  week.  It  was  thought  that  the  ice  closed  in 
on  Herald  Island  ;  but  when  we  came  within  a  few  miles 
of  the  land,  long  lanes  of  open  water  were  found,  com- 
pletely cutting  off  further  progress.  It  would  have  been 
sheer  folly  to  await  the  freezing  of  the  water  and  then 
make  a  dash  for  the  foot  of  the  precipitous  rocks,  without 
the  aid  of  a  boat.  The  ship  was  rapidly  moving  past ; 
no  food  could  possibly  have  been  found  on  the  island, 
and  in  case  of  a  separation  from  the  Jeannette  we  must 
inevitably  starve.  Taking  this  view  of  the  situation,  we 
reluctantly  turned  back. 

And  still  the  floe  continued  to  drift  toward  Wrangel 
Land.  Soundings  were  taken  daily,  and  observations 
daily  and  nightly.  A  "drift  lead"  was  kept  constantly  in 
place  to  indicate  the  impulse  of  the  ice ;  and  the  bottom 


OFF  FOR   THE  POLE.  9 

of  the  sea  was  dragged  for  samples  of  its  natural  liistory. 
Each  officer  had  his  special  duty,  and  the  whole  ship's 
company  worked  together  as  a  unit.  At  times,  the  choice 
library  on  board  would  be  ransacked  for  authorities,  when 
the  officers,  who  had  been  students  and  observers  in  all 
climes,  and  could  be  cheerful  under  all  conditions  of  life, 
would  engage  in  friendly  scientific  discussion  in  the  little 
cabin.  Thus,  without  the  appearance  of  the  expected 
gales,  October  passed  pleasantly  away.  The  ice  had  been 
comparatively  quiet ;  now  and  then  low  rumbling  sounds 
being  transmitted  through  the  floe  from  distant  disturb- 
ances. Toward  the  end  of  the  month  Wrangel  Land  was 
in  plain  sight,  and  it  was  quite  evident  that  the  much- 
boasted  continent  was  a  small  island,  high  and  mountain- 
ous. When  probably  at  the  most  northeasterly  point  to 
the  land,  the  ship  was  found  shoaling  water  at  sixteen 
fathoms,  and  as  the  floe  crowded  by  the  island,  it  was 
cast  up  in  great  ridges  ;  cracks  ran  across  it  in  all  direc- 
tions, and  the  grinding  and  crushing  of  the  tortured 
masses  sounded  like  the  roar  of  distant  artillery.  The 
ship  became  entirely  surrounded  by  the  towering,  tele- 
scoping hills  of  ice.  Huge  floe-bergs  as  large  as  churches 
bobbed  up  and  down  like  whales.  The  situation  was  now 
most  perilous ;  for  even  could  the  vessel  sustain  the  enor- 
mous pressure  thus  brought  to  bear  upon  her,  there  was 
imminent  danger  of  the  hummocks  and  "  bits  "  weighing 
from  twenty  to  fifty  tons  toppling  over,  as  they  were  on 
all  sides,  and  crushing  or  burying  her.  In  view  of  the 
impending  disaster,  preparations  were  made  for  abandon- 
ing the  ship  —  a  hopeless  prospect ;  when  suddenly  the 
floe  split  along  the  port  side  parallel  with  the  keel,  leav- 
ing a  long  lane  of  open  water,  with  the  starboard  side 
still  imbedded  in  the  ice  as  in  a  mould. 

This  was  the  moment  of  extreme  clanger.  Should  the 
floe-pieces  come  together  again  and  overlap  or  underrun, 
the  Jeannette  would  be  crushed  like  an  egg-shell.     They 


10  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

separated  nearly  a  thousand  yards,  and  then  slowly  ap- 
proached. The  poor  ship  began  to  creak  and  groan  with 
the  immense  strain ;  but  fortunately  the  ice,  ranging 
ahead,  acted  as  a  protection.  The  decks  bulged  upward ; 
the  oakum  and  pitch  were  squeezed  out  of  the  seams ; 
and  a  bucket,  almost  full  of  water,  standing  on  the  quar- 
ter-deck, was  half  emptied  by  the  agitation.  There  was 
little  sleep  obtained ;  those  who  turned  in  dojng  so  with 
their  clothes  on.  Yet  the  discipline  of  the  ship's  corn- 
pan}'  was  perfect.  The  men  sang  and  joked  with  appar- 
ent sang  froid,  while  they  cleared  the  decks  of  ice  or 
pushed  away  the  overhanging  masses  that  were  crushing 
in  the  light  bulwarks.  The  powerful  trusses  fitted  in  at 
Mare  Island  sturdily  withstood  the  pressure;  until  at 
length  the  floe  gave  way  somewhere  beyond,  and,  as  it 
went  thundering  by,  an  underrunning  piece  pushed  the 
ship  out  from  her  bed  into  the  open  lead  of  water.  Once 
again  she  was  nearly  caught  stem  and  stern,  but  as  dark- 
ness set  in,  the  young  ice  began  forming,  and  shortly  af- 
terward she  was  completely  frozen  in,  never  to  be  released 
again  until  a  day  or  two  before  the  fatal  12th  of  June, 
1881. 


CHAPTER  II. 

DRIFTING. 

Shipboard  Economy.  —  A  Frozen  "Wave.  —  Lead-Poisoning.  —  My 
Visit  to  Henrietta  Island. 

Winter  set  in  sharply.  Excepting  a  few  minor  acci- 
dents in  the  shape  of  sprains  and  contusions,  we  enjoyed 
entire  freedom  from  disease,  and  were  in  constant  good 
humor,  —  all  save  Lieutenant  Danenhower,  who  suffered 
under  his  terrible  affliction  from  December  of  the  first 
year  until  the  end  of  the  cruise.  As  the  holidays  drew 
nigh,  the  crew  prepared  for  the  usual  theatricals ;  and  at 
Christmas  all  hands  were  summoned  to  the  deck-house 
to  witness  a  performance  replete  with  jokes  at  the  ex- 
pense of  officers  and  men. 

Early  in  the  experience  of  the  expedition,  a  strange 
violation  of  an  accepted  physical  law  presented  itself. 
In  accordance  with  the  laboratory  teaching  of  our  youth, 
we  had  presumed  that  sea-water  passed  through  the  pro- 
cess of  freezing  yielded  perfectly  fresh  ice.  Floe  ice  was 
known  to  be  salty,  but  it  was  confidently  expected  that 
fresh-water  snow  would  be  found;  and  yet  it  was  not. 
Those  who  were  conversant  with  the  histories  of  pre- 
vious Arctic  voyages  —  and  nothing  of  the  kind  written 
in  the  English  language  had  escaped  the  reading  of  many 
—  were  aware  that  heretofore  no  difficulty  had  been  en- 
countered in  procuring  fresh  water  for  potable  purposes 
from  bergs  or  land  snow.  There  are,  however,  no  bergs 
proper  in  this  ocean,  except  those  which  drop  from  the 


12  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

small  islands,  and  they  are  so  rare  that  the  only  ones 
met  with  were  seen  by  my  party  when  we  landed  at 
Henrietta  Island. 

So  a  distilling  apparatus,  capable  of  yielding  forty  gal- 
lons a  day,  was  constructed,  and  a  supply  of  melted  snow 
kept  constantly  in  tanks  on  the  cabin  and  forecastle 
stoves  ;  one  large  tank  being  fitted  behind  the  galley  to 
absorb  the  radiant  heat. 

And  the  old  year  left  us  busied  in  this  wise  with  the 
multiform  details  of  shipboard  economy. 

Throughout  the  month  of  January,  1880,  the  ice  was 
restless,  and  the  ship  experienced  many  jars  and  strains. 
Each  gale  was  followed  by  the  jamming  up  of  the  floes  ; 
and  it  was  observed  that  during  the  continuance  of  the 
wind  the  whole  body  of  ice  moved  evenly  before  it,  but 
when  it  subsided,  the  mass  that  had  been  put  in  motion 
crowded  and  tumbled  upon  the  far-off  floes  at  rest,  piling 
tumultuously  upward  in  a  manner  terrific  to  behold. 

It  was  in  one  of  these  oppressive  intervals  succeeding 
a  gale,  when  the  roar  and  crash  of  the  distant  masses 
could  be  distinctly  heard,  that  the  floe  in  which  the 
Jeannette  was  imbedded  began  splitting  in  all  directions. 
The  placid  and  almost  level  surface  of  ice  suddenly 
heaved  and  swelled  into  great  hills,  buzzing  and  wheez- 
ing dolefully.  Giant  blocks  pitched  and  rolled  as  though 
controlled  by  invisible  hands,  and  the  vast  compressing 
bodies  shrieked  a  shrill  and  horrible  song  that  curdled  the 
blood.  On  came  the  frozen  waves,  nearer  and  nearer. 
Seams  ran  and  rattled  across  them  with  a  thundering 
boom,  while  silent  and  awestruck  we  watched  their  ter- 
rible progress.  Sunk  in  an  amphitheatre,  about  five 
eighths  of  a  mile  in  diameter,  lay  the  ship,  the  great 
bank  of  moving  ice,  puffed  in  places  to  a  height  of  fifty 
feet,  gradually  inclosing  her  on  all  sides.  Preparations 
were  made  for  her  abandonment,  but,  —  what  then  ?  If 
the  mighty  circle  continued  to  decrease,  escape  was  hope- 


DRIFTING.  13 

less,  death  inevitable.  To  think  of  scrambling  up  the 
slippery  sides  of  the  rolling  mass  would  be  of  equal  folly 
with  an  attempt  to  scale  the  falling  waters  of  Niagara. 

"  The  ice  is  approaching  at  the  rate  of  one  yard  per 
minute.  It  is  three  hundred  paces  distant ;  so  in  three 
hundred  minutes  we  shall  pass  over  to  the  Great  Be- 
yond." 

Thus  one  of  the  crew  announced  his  computation  of 
the  time,  distance,  and  calamity.  Certain  it  is  that  had 
the  Jeannette  been  two  hundred  yards  in  any  direction 
out  of  the  exact  spot  she  then  occupied  on  the  floe,  she 
would  have  been  overwhelmed  and  destroyed  by  the 
grinding  masses,  as  readily  as  a  "  sojer  crab  "  on  the 
beach  is  buried  beneath  the  roll  of  the  surf.  But  her 
time  had  not  yet  come.  The  terrible  circle  slowly  con- 
tracted to  within  a  few  hundred  feet,  and  then  stopped 
—  stopping  our  prayers  ;  and  all  was  quiet,  save  the  roar 
of  the  underrunning  floes  at  the  bottom  of  the  ship. 

With  light  hearts  the  men  dispersed  themselves  upon 
the  ice,  climbing  the  slopes  of  the  marble -like  basin, 
leaping  from  block  to  block,  clambering  up  pinnacles  and 
tumbling  down  with  laughter,  calling  each  other's  atten- 
tion to  the  marvelous  shapes  and  positions  of  the  con- 
fused heaps,  speculating  upon  the  chances  of  escape 
had  such  an  one  toppled  over  on  the  vessel,  all  hailing 
and  shouting  in  boyish  glee,  —  when,  suddenly,  the  dread 
cry  of  "  Man  the  pumps  !  "  put  a  check  to  their  short- 
lived sport,  and  sent  every  one  scudding  back. 

Hand-pumps  were  at  once  rigged  and  operated  with 
all  the  vigor  of  the  stoutest  men  ;  another  gang  removed 
the  provisions  from  the  fore-hold,  while  a  third  filled 
the  boiler  with  water,  ice,  snow,  and  slush  from  the 
bilges.  The  temperature  at  this  time  was  about  40°  Fah- 
renheit below  zero,  and  as  the  water  rushed  into  the 
hold  it  almost  instantly  froze.  Pouring  steadily  in,  it 
crept  above  the   fire-room  floor,  and  fears  were  enter- 


14  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

tained  that  it  might  reach  the  boiler  furnaces  before  the 
steam-pumps  could  be  started.  To  prevent  this,  and 
keep  the  after-hold  dry.  the  water  was  hoisted  out  of 
the  hatch  by  means  of  a  barrel.  Time  meant  life  or 
death.  The  flood  was  rapidly  rising  in  the  bilges  ;  so 
the  furnace  was  fired  long  before  the  boiler  had  received 
its  regulation  supply,  and  soon  the  steam  giant  was  cast- 
ing out  the  water  at  such  a  rate  as  to  win  from  Jack 
Cole  the  admiring  observation,  —  "  No  '  Spell  O  ! '  (the 
relief  call  at  the  pump  brake)  for  that  chap." 

Winter  passed  swiftly  by,  and  the  bright  spring  sun, 
melting  the  snow,  opened  up  a  fresh  field  of  labor  by  re- 
vealing the  hideous  results  of  forty  dogs  and  thirty-three 
men  living  in  one  spot  for  six  months.  Nor  was  it  with- 
out considerable  anxiety  that  the  approach  of  warmer 
weather  was  observed.  The  ship,  indeed,  would  be  free  ; 
but  was  she  not  leaky,  and  the  supply  of  "coal  fast 
failing  ?  How  long  would  the  spars,  masts,  and  upper 
works  of  the  hull  hold  out  after  all  other  fuel  had  been 
consumed  ?  These  were  questions  which  we  could  not 
consider  without  alarm. 

Northwest  winds  prevailed  in  the  early  spring  and 
drove  the  ship  within  sight  of  Herald  Island,  or  Wrangel 
Land,  and  about  fifty  miles  from  the  point  where  we  had 
entered  the  ice  the  preceding  fall.  During  this  time,  we 
had  drifted  nearly  five  hundred  miles  in  a  zigzag  course, 
and  so  persistently  from  northwest  to  southeast  that  I 
conceived  the  existence  of  two  banks  or  shoals  between 
which  we  had  been  moving,  or  perhaps  two  great  packs 
of  ice,  the  Polar  pack  to  the  north  and  the  Siberian 
pack  to  the  south,  which  latter  shifted  on  and  off  the 
coast  of  Siberia  with  the  changing  winds  and  seasons.  A 
canal  covered  with  broken  ice  was  thus  formed,  and 
hemmed  in  between  the  impenetrable  floes  and  floe- 
bergs. 

The  winter  of  1880-81  passed  by  without  much  inci- 


DRIFTING.  15 

dent.  The  novelty  of  life  on  the  ice  had  worn  off.  Our 
supplies  of  jokes  and  stories  were  completely  exhausted, 
and  their  points  had  long  ago  been  dulled  by  much  hand- 
ling. The  ship's  company,  fore  and  aft,  had  found  their 
affinities ;  and  congenial  spirits  began  to  walk,  talk,  and 
hunt  together  in  couples.  In  the  cabin  there  was  more 
reading  and  less  conversation,  and  the  senior  officers 
seemed  daily  bound  by  a  closer  band.  Stricter  attention 
was  paid  to  all  the  sanitary  regulations  of  the  ship,  par- 
ticularly to  the  distillation  of  water,  the  preparation  of 
food,  the  ship's  ventilation,  and  the  healthful  exercise  of 
the  men. 

This  was  our  second  winter  in  the  ice ;  and  in  the  his- 
tory of  all  previous  expeditions,  scurvy,  the  bane  of  the 
Arctic  voyager,  had  made  its  dread  appearance  long  ere 
such  an  interval  had  elapsed.  Why  were  we  exempt? 
How  long  would  we  thus  remain  blessed  above  all  other 
crews?  Like  vegetables  grown  in  the  dark,  we  were 
bleached  to  an  unnatural  pallor ;  and  as  spring  approached 
all  exhibited  signs  of  debility.  Sleep  was  fortunately 
peaceful  and  undisturbed,  by  reason  of  the  floe's  solid- 
ity; but  certain  members  of  the  mess  were  attacked  with 
fits  of  indigestion  ;  Mr.  Dunbar  became  very  ill;  and  an 
ugly  ulcer  appeared  on  Alexia's  leg  accompanied  by 
other  symptoms  which  raised  suspicions  of  the  presence 
of  scurvy. 

At  length,  an  epidemic  seemed  to  break  out  among 
the  whole  company.  Dr.  Ambler  was  diligent  in  his 
search  for  the  cause.  There  were  no  evidences  of  scurvy 
save  in  Alexia's  case,  and  his  was  extremely  doubtful. 
Finally  the  patients  showed  symptoms  of  lead  poisoning, 
and  the  question  at  once  arose,  whence  came  the  lead  ? 
A  few  grains  of  shot  found  in  the  bodies  of  birds  (guille- 
mots) served  for  dinner  one  day  sufficed  to  direct  the 
conversation  to  the  subject  that  was  uppermost  in  the 
minds  of  all ;   and  at  the  same  time,  some  one  chancing 


16  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

upon  several  pellets  of  solder  in  the  canned  tomatoes,  it 
was  jocularly  asked,  "  Who  shot  the  tomatoes  ?  "  which 
resulted  in  bringing  to  light  the  raison  d'etre  of  the  poi- 
soning. Knowing  how  deadly  wine  might  become  by 
the  dissolution  of  a  single  grain  of  shot  left  in  the  bottle 
from  its  cleansing,  it  was  easy  to  understand  how  the 
acid  fruits  and  vegetables  had  absorbed  their  noxious 
properties  from  the  many  drops  of  solder,  composed  of 
equal  parts  of  lead  and  tin.  And  this  cumulative  poison- 
ing had  been  in  progress  for  months  !  Nor,  as  investiga- 
tion proved,  were  these  pellets  the  only  source  of  the  mal- 
ady. Aware  of  the  manufacturer's  practice  of  covering 
certain  qualities  of  sheet  tin  with  solder,  the  cans  were 
inspected,  and  many  found  to  be  coated  with  black  oxide 
of  lead.  Scraping  this  off  and  analyzing  it,  Dr.  Ambler 
became  altogether  satisfied  as  to  the  origin  of  the  "  epi- 
demic." 

It  was  at  the  beginning  of  this  dark  period  in  the  his- 
tory of  our  cruise  that  the  cheering  cry  of  "  Land  ho !  " 
rang  out  from  the  crow's-nest.  The  ice  had  been  slowly 
disintegrating  for  weeks,  and  Mr.  Dunbar,  our  ancient 
mariner  and  Arctic  authority,  had  declared  a  week  be- 
fore that  something  to  the  leeward  was  obstructing  and 
breaking  up  the  floe.  Now,  a  faint  line  on  the  horizon 
with  a  stationary  cloud  above  it  indicated  the  presence 
of  land.  At  once,  all  the  younger  prophets, — who  had 
for  months  been  seeing  vast  continents  in  the  shape  of 
various  clouds,  which  they  assiduously  plotted  on  charts 
and  named,  only  to  be  as  regularly  laughed  at,  — turned 
out,  aloft,  below,  and  on  the  high  hummocks,  to  scan  with 
glasses,  or  without,  the  discovered  country.  There  it 
was,  sure  enough;  and  all  were  as  elated  as  though  a 
second  Goshen,  or  still  better  our  own  peerless  land  of 
peers,  had  sprung  into  view.  Speculation  was  rife  as  to 
its  distance,  size,  and  inhabitability ;  sketches  were  as 
plentiful  as  ticks  in  a  southern  forest ;  some  of  the  far- 


DRIFTING.  17 

seeing  enthusiasts  distinctly  descried  reindeer  moving 
about ;  and  others  of  still  greater  ken  could  plainly  dis- 
tinguish the  buck  from  the  doe. 

Meanwhile,  Mr.  Dunbar,  with  that  keenness  of  vision 
that  comes  from  forty  years'  experience  at  sea,  had  espied 
another  and  separate  land  beyond,  much  smaller  and 
lower  than  the  first.  As  the  whole  floe  was  in  a  swirl, 
and  the  Jeannette  was  drifting  rapidly  to  the  northwest, 
the  question  arose,  was  it  possible  to  visit  the  strange 
island,  and  return  in  safety  ?  General  opinion  was  ad- 
verse to  the  success  of  the  undertaking,  albeit  there  was 
no  scarcity  of  volunteers.  Messrs.  Chipp,  Danenhower, 
and  Newcomb  were  prostrated  in  the  cabin  ;  so  it  was 
decided  that  I  should  go,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Dunbar, 
and  a  picked  four  of  the  crew:  namely,  Nindemann, 
Bartlett,  Ericksen,  and  Sharvell.  We  were  supplied 
with  provisions  for  ten  days,  and  a  small  boat  mounted 
on  a  sled  drawn  by  fifteen  dogs. 

Early  in  the  morning,  followed  by  the  cheers  and  good- 
wishes  of  our  shipmates,  we  were  off,  making  a  straight 
line  for  the  island.  The  condition  of  the  ice,  grinding, 
crashing,  and  telescoping,  sometimes  pitching  and  roll- 
ing in  such  a  manner  as  to  render  foothold  impossible, 
made  our  enterprise  a  particularly  perilous  one. 

Difficulties  beset  us  at  the  very  start.  Not  five  hun- 
dred yards  from  the  ship,  we  came  to  a  lead  of  water, 
and  dismounting  the  boat,  ferried  over  the  sled  and  sup- 
plies ;  but  nothing  could  induce  the  dogs  to  follow  suit. 
They  howled  and  fought,  all  resisting  with  might  and 
main,  and  a  few  breaking  or  slipping  from  their  harness 
and  scampering  back  to  the  ship.  The  thermometer  re- 
gistered many  degrees  below  freezing  point ;  the  boat 
was  covered  with  ice,  our  clothes  were  wet,  and  our 
hands  frost-bitten.  The  deserters  were  at  length  cap- 
tured and  returned  by  the  men  on  board  ship,  and  again 
fastened  in  harness.  A  rope,  tied  to  their  traces,  was 
2 


18  IN  THE  LENA  DELTA. 

then  stretched  across  the  lead  (scarcely  twenty  yards  in 
width),  the  whole  team  pushed  into  the  water,  and  thus 
pulled  and  urged  across.  It  was  cruel,  I  know,  but  there 
was  no  alternative  ;  and  once  over,  and  rehitched  to  the 
sleds,  the  poor  shivering  brutes  were  soon  warming  them- 
selves in  the  hard  work  ahead  of  them.  We  were  all 
equipped  with  "  ruy  ruddies  "  (canvas  harness)  to  assist 
the  dogs  in  hauling;  and  as  the  snow  was  waist-deep 
they  were  almost  buried  at  times.  Mr.  Dunbar  ran  on 
before,  leading  the  way  among  the  hummocks,  the  rest  of 
us  steadying  and  pushing  the  sled,  two  on  each  side  and 
one  behind.  Now  and  then,  the  team  would  come  to  a 
halt,  and  everything  —  a  matter  of  1,900  pounds  —  must 
be  unloaded,  since  it  is  absolutely  impossible  to  induce 
or  compel  a  dog-team  to  pull  in  concert  until  the  sled  is 
first  put  in  motion. 

There  is  no  greater  violence  done  the  eternal  cause  of 
truth  than  in  those  pictures  where  the  Esquimaux  are 
represented  as  calmly  sitting  in  shoe-shaped  sleds,  with 
the  lashes  of  their  long  whips  trailing  gracefully  behind, 
while  the  dogs  dash  in  full  cry  and  perfect  unison  across 
smooth  expanses  of  snow.  If  depicted  "  true  to  nature  " 
the  scene  changes  its  aspect  considerably ;  it  is  quite  as 
full  of  action,  but  not  of  progress.  A  pandemonium  of 
horrors  !  Dogs  yelling,  barking,  snapping,  and  fighting ; 
the  leaders  in  the  rear,  and  the  wheelers  (?)  in  the  mid-, 
die,  all  tied  in  a  knot  and  as  hopelessly  tangled  up  as  a 
basketful  of  eels. 

Thus  retarded,  we  toiled  on  for  twelve  hours,  making 
roads,  filling  up  chasms  with  "hummocky  bits,"  and 
jumping  the  team  across  them ;  four  times  the  boat  was 
launched,  and  when  evening  came  on  we  had  traveled 
but  four  miles  from  the  ship,  and  made  no  appreciable 
gain  on  the  island.  Nevertheless  we  erected  our  tent 
under  the  lee  of  a  large  hummock,  supped,  fed  the 
dogs,  and  encasing  ourselves  in  sleeping-bags  lay  down 


DRIFTING.  19 

on  the  snow,  partially  warmed  by  the  dogs,  which  were 
curled  on  the  flaps  of  the  tent,  and  well  pleased  with 
our  first  day's  progress.  At  six  o'clock  next  morning 
we  were  up  and  active.  Sharvell  prepared  a  breakfast 
of  pigs'  feet  and  mutton  broth  heated  together  in  a  can, 
along  with  a  cup  of  tea,  while  the  rest  of  us  stored  the 
tent  and  hitched  the  team ;  and  by  seven  we  were  off 
again. 

After  journeying  forward  in  this  way  for  three  days, 
the  island  at  length  loomed  up  before  us  in  all  its  cloud- 
crowned  majesty.  The  black  serrated  rocks,  rising  pre- 
cipitously four  hundred  feet  at  the  coast  and  towering 
inland  to  four  times  that  height,  bore  at  a  distance  the 
appearance  of  a  vast  heap  of  scorias  discharged  from 
some  great  blast  furnace  and  streaked  with  veins  of 
iron.  They  were  grown  over  with  moss  and  lichens, 
the  tops  capped  with  snow  and  ice  and  the  highest  peaks 
lost  in  the  clouds.  As  we  drew  nearer  we  could  dis- 
tinguish glaciers  making  down  the  gorges,  and  bold 
headlands  standing,  as  they  had  been  for  ages,  like  sen- 
tinels, grimly  challenging  our  strange  advent.  The  si- 
lence was  awful,  was  confounding,  and  the  loneliness  of 
our  situation  indescribably  depressive.  Before  us,  like  a 
black  monster,  arose  the  lofty  island,  protected,  to  a  cer- 
tain degree,  from  the  endless  grinding  of  the  floes  by  an 
ice-foot,  which  extended  in  some  places  a  half  mile  from 
the  base.  Here  we  stood  lost  in  the  contemplation  of 
the  wild  tumult  and  rout  before  us.  Millions  of  tons  of 
blocks  were  piled  up,  as  though  they  were  the  ghastly 
heaps  of  slain  from  the  battle  that  was  forever  raging 
among  the  broken  masses ;  and  great  bodies  of  ice  were 
incessantly  fleeing,  it  seemed,  from  the  mad  pursuit  of 
those  behind ;  now  hurling  themselves  on  top,  and  now 
borne  down  and  buried  by  others.  And  it  was  through 
this  chaos  of  ice  that  we  must  force  our  way  to  the 
island. 


20  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

A  glance  at  the  situation  convinced  me  of  the  utter 
impossibility  of  accomplishing  a  passage  by  means  of  the 
boat;  and  as  we  were  fast  drifting  by,  I  determined  to 
abandon  it,  together  with  the  gear  and  most  of  the  pro- 
visions, and  make  a  dash  for  the  land  across  the  broken 
ice,  jumping  from  bit  to  bit.  It  was  a  hazardous  ex- 
pedient, the  success  of  which  must  be  greatly  a  matter 
of  luck;  and  still  more  so,  our  escape  from  the  island 
and  recapture  of  the  drifting  boat  and  provisions.  How- 
ever, we  left  these  latter  on  a  secure  and  elevated  floe- 
piece  ;  on  the  tallest  hummock  of  which,  as  a  guide  for 
our  retreat,  we  raised  an  oar  with  a  black  flag  lashed  to 
it,  and  Ericksen's  old  felt  hat  on  top  as  a  liberty  cap. 
Then  with  the  tent,  guns,  instruments,  and  one  day's 
provisions  mounted  on  the  sled,  we  started  in  a  gallop 
for  the  island.  The  dogs  were  trained  to  follow  a  leader; 
so  one  of  us  ran  on  ahead,  relieved  in  turn  by  the  others, 
who  jogged  along  with  the  sled  and  occasionally  rested 
upon  it.  But  when  we  reached  the  broken  ice,  the  team 
stopped  and  refused  to  follow  the  leader.  Poor  brutes, 
they  knew  full  well  what  it  was  to  be  dragged  through 
the  water,  and  hauled  out  coated  with  a  sheet  of  ice, 
more  dead  than  alive.  So  with  the  floe  bits  rolling 
under  their  feet  they  turned  round,  yelping  in  an  agony 
of  dread,  and  darted  in  all  directions,  the  men  shouting 
and  belaboring  them  in  vain ;  man  and  dog  now  splash- 
ing in  the  water,  and  now  clambering  out;  raised  at 
times  high  up  in  the  air  by  the  pressure  of  the  under- 
running  floes,  only  to  plunge  down  again  or  roll  over. 
Mr.  Dunbar  had  become  snow  -  blind,  and  was  now 
perched  on  the  sled,  greatly  to  the  old  gentleman's  dis- 
gust. It  was  the  first  time  in  his  life  that  he  had  ever 
broken  down,  and  it  grieved  him  sorely.  He  begged  in 
the  most  distressing  manner  to  be  left  on  the  ice  rather 
than  retard  our  progress ;  but  directing  him  to  hold  fast, 
I  finally  seized  the  head  dog  by  the  neck  with  my  "  ruy 


DRIFTING.  21 

ruddy,"  and,  followed  by  the  others,  sprang  forward, 
dragging  team  and  all  after  me.  Then  we  waded  and 
struggled  through  the  posh  and  water,  the  sled  wholly 
immersed,  with  Mr.  Dunbar  still  clinging  to  the  cross- 
bars and  Ericksen  performing  herculean  feats  of  strength. 
More  than  once,  when  the  sled  stuck  fast,  did  he  place 
his  brawny  shoulders  under  the  boot  and  lift  it  bodily 
out.  Indeed,  we  all  toiled  so  hard  that  when  the  ridge 
at  the  edge  of  the  ice-foot  was  reached,  we  were  barely 
able  to  crawl  over  it  and  drag  Dunbar  from  the  sea  like 
some  great  seal. 

A  brief  rest,  with  supper,  and  I  then  proceeded  to 
take  formal  possession  of  the  island.  Marching  over  the 
ice-foot,  without  observing  any  regular  order  of  proces- 
sion, I,  as  a  commissioned  officer  and  proper  representa- 
tive of  the  Government,  landed  first ;  and,  having  claimed 
the  island  as  the  territory  of  the  United  States,  invited 
my  companions  on  shore,  Hans  Ericksen  carrying  the 
colors.  The  ground  was  then  named  Henrietta,  in  honor 
of  Mr.  Bennett's  mother,  and  baptized  with  a  few  —  a 
very  few  —  drops  of  corn  extract  from  a  small  but  precious 
wicker  bottle  that  had  been  placed  in  the  boat-box  for 
medicinal  purposes.  After  which  ceremony,  a  greater 
number  (and  yet  too  few)  of  drops  from  the  same  ves- 
sel being  allotted  to  each  member  of  the  party,  Mr. 
Dunbar  and  myself  kept  camp  while  the  rest  rambled  a 
short  distance  inland. 

The  sun  at  this  time  was  above  the  horizon  the  whole 
twenty-four  hours,  although  it  had  not  been  visible,  by 
reason  of  the  foggy  weather,  since  we  left  the  ship. 
Snow-storms  prevailed  to  such  an  extent  that  the  island 
had  been  completely  cut  off  from  view  two  hours  before 
our  landing;  we  having  traveled  a  compass  course.  So 
when  I  awoke  the  next  morning  at  ten  o'clock,  I  at  once 
supposed  that  we  had  overslept  ourselves  ;  my  orders 
having  been  to  remain  no  longer  than  twenty-four  hours 


22  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

on  the  island,  and  here  we  had  wasted  one-half  of  that 
allowance  in  the  arms  of  Morpheus.  Hastily  calling  the 
men,  who  yawned  and  turned  out  saying  they  were  too 
tired  to  rest  well,  I  directed  the  performance  of  the  day's 
labors.  A  cairn  was  built  on  a  bold,  high  headland, 
named  by  Mr.  Dunbar  "  Melville's  Head,"  but  after- 
wards changed  on  the  chart  to  "  Bald  Head  ; "  and  in 
this  we  buried  a  zinc  case  containing  papers,  and  a  cop- 
per cylinder  containing  a  record  written  by  Captain  De 
Long. 

I  then  made  a  running  survey  of  the  island  by  compass, 
Ericksen  and  Bartlett  reading  the  instrument  while  I 
sketched  and  recorded.  The  others  ran  over  the  largest 
portion  of  the  eastern  end  of  the  land,  naming  many  of 
its  prominent  features ;  and  Sharvell  shot  a  few  peteu- 
larkies  and  guillemots,  which  nestled  among  the  rocks  in 
great  numbers.  These  were  the  only  birds  seen  ;  indeed, 
we  saw  no  other  living  thing  upon  Henrietta  Island. 

Flushed  now  with  the  success  of  our  undertaking,  we 
once  more  restowed  the  sled  and  set  out  for  the  ship, 
halting  briefly  when  a  mile  from  the  shore,  while  I  took 
the  bearings  of  the  principal  promontories  and  mountain 
peaks  from  which  to  plot  a  map  of  the  island.  The  re- 
treat was  a  more  difficult  task  than  the  landing.  We 
had  drifted  far  to  the  northwest ;  the  ice  was  moving 
more  rapidly,  driving  and  grinding  with  greater  force ; 
and  the  ship,  though  plainly  in  sight  from  the  high 
grounds  of  the  island,  could  not  be  seen  on  the  floe. 
The  boat  was  nowhere  in  view,  and  the  ice,  growing  more 
and  more  broken  at  every  step,  seemed  alive.  Mr.  Dun- 
bar was  totally  blind  for  the  time  being,  and  as  the  dogs 
were  running  briskly,  it  was  necessary  for  him,  in  order 
to  keep  up  with  us,  to  ride  on  the  sled.  At  one  time, 
forcing  our  way  through  a  stream  of  posh,  we  had  no 
more  than  gained  the  rounded  surface  of  a  small  floe- 
piece  shaped  like  a  whale's  back,  than  it  began  rolling 


DRIFTING.  23 

to  and  fro,  after  trie  manner  of  Sindbad  the  Sailor's  ad- 
venture. Every  one,  dogs  included,  crouched  down  and 
awaited  events,  knowing  the  floe-piece  must  soon  turn 
over  one  way  or  the  other.  This  it  finally  did  in  the 
very  direction  we  wanted  to  go,  spilling  us  safely,  and 
the  most  of  us  dryly,  on  the  edge  of  the  main  floe.  But 
not  so  the  dogs,  among  whom  there  was  unfortunately  a 
diversity  of  opinion  as  to  the  proper  course  to  pursue  ; 
so  the  majority  of  them  went  yelping  overboard,  and 
dragged  the  sled,  with  Mr.  Dunbar  sprawled  out  on  top, 
bodily  through  the  slush  and  water  to  the  firm  ice,  while 
we  roared  with  laughter. 

Shaking  out  our  soaked  sled-load  of  animate  and  in- 
animate freight,  we  again  started  forward  toward  the 
ship  in  the  direction  of  the  spot  where  we  had  aban- 
doned the  boat.  I  now  entertained  fears  of  our  not 
being  able  to  find  it,  since  we  failed  to  encounter  any  of 
our  previous  tracks  in  the  snow,  and  the  whole  aspect  of 
the  floe  appeared  to  have  undergone  a  change.  At  length, 
attaining  a  large  floe -piece,  and  the  weather  clearing 
slightly,  Ericksen  espied  from  the  top  of  a  high  hum- 
mock the  flag-staff  which  we  had  raised  in  the  vicinity  of 
our  boat,  —  a  fortunate  discovery,  since  we  had  consumed 
the  one  day's  rations  taken  with  us  to  the  island. 

From  this  time  on,  until  we  reached  the  ship,  the 
weather  was  miserable  ;  and  guided  altogether  by  com- 
pass we  marched  forward  in  the  face  of  a  cruel  snow  and 
wind  storm,  constantly  impeded  by  open  lanes  and  leads 
of  water.  When  we  camped,  the  second  night  after 
leaving  the  island,  the  storm  was  at  its  height.  Notwith- 
standing the  broken  state  of  the  ice  I  felt  easy  in  mind, 
knowing  that  we  must  now  be  close  upon  the  ship  ;  yet 
several  of  the  party  were  suffering  severely :  Nindemann 
from  an  attack  of  cramps,  and  Ericksen,  who  since  the 
failure  of  Mr.  Dunbar's  eyes  had  piloted  the  dogs  and 
kept  the  sled  in  a  compass  course,  from  snow-blindness. 


24  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

Poor  Nindemann,  drawn  and  doubled  up,  was  enduring 
the  agonies  of  the  lost,  caused,  no  doubt,  by  lead  poi- 
soning ;  so  directly  after  supper,  and  before  I  crawled 
into  my  sleeping-bag,  I  drew  forth  the  medicine  box 
furnished  by  Ambler  and  proceeded  to  "  doctor  "  him. 
There  could  be  no  mistake.  Inside  the  box  were  written 
instructions,  and  Nindemann  wanted  a  cramp  antidote ; 
Tine,  capsicum,  cognac,  etc.  But  my  fingers  were  cold 
and  sore ;  so  Ericksen,  who  must  have  some  sweet-oil  to 
rub  upon  his  damaged  nose  (big  nose)  and  chafed  body, 
would  draw  the  corks.  He  drew  them  with  a  reckless 
abandon,  spilling  the  tincture  of  capsicum  (cayenne  pep- 
per raised  to  the  ntu  power)  over  his  cracked  and  blis- 
tered hands.  Then,  losing  his  head  completely,  he  applied 
the  sweet-oil  by  means  of  his  fiery  fingers  to  the  afflicted 
portions  of  his  body.  The  result  was  at  once  a  surprise 
to  him  and  a  delight  to  us.  He  rolled  and  squirmed  about 
in  the  snow  like  an  eel.  Little  Sharvell  sensibly  aug- 
mented the  animation  of  the  victim  by  suggesting  that  he 
disrobe  and  sit  down  in  the  snow  to  cool  off ;  but  then, 
fearing  that  he  might  melt  his  way  through  the  floe, 
further  advised  that  he  station  himself  on  top  of  a  lofty 
hummock.  This  brought  about  a  new  and  delightful 
state  of  feeling  in  the  tent.  Nindemann  laughed  his 
cramps  away,  and  Dunbar  found  time  between  his  groans 
to  shout  out,  — 

"  Ericksen,  are  you  hot  enough  to  make  the  snow  hiss  ? 
If  you  are,  the  chief  can  extinguish  the  fire  in  the  fore- 
castle and  use  you  for  a  heater." 

The  next  morning,  when  the  mists  had  lifted,  we  sighted 
the  ship.  Hoping  to  reach  her  before  dinner-time,  we 
pushed  on  over  a  course  that  grew  more  and  more  rugged, 
coming  within  a  mile  of  her  without  attracting  the  atten- 
tion of  any  one  on  board.  Finally,  a  running  stream  of 
ground  ice  checked  our  progress,  and  after  vainly  trying 
to  avoid  it  by  many  detours,  I  decided  to  launch  the  boat ; 


1.  Jeaunette  men  exercising.     2.  Iu  the  crow's-nest.     3.  The  Jeannette  crushed. 
4.  A  hunting  party  in  luck. 


DRIFTING.  25 

but  at  this  juncture  one  of  the  sled's  runners  gave  way, 
and  although  we  repaired  it  as  best  we  could,  it  was  yet 
too  frail  to  sustain  all  the  baggage.  Anxious  to  get  rid 
of  the  dogs  and  to  place  our  blinded  pilot  on  board  ship  at 
once,  I  started  the  sled  laden  with  most  of  the  equipment 
across  the  moving  mass  of  hummocks,  Mr.  Dunbar  lying 
at  full  length  on  top  and  stoutly  protesting  his  ability  to 
walk.  It  was  no  time  for  sentiment,  so  off  they  went, 
men  and  dogs  yelling  lustily  ;  Sharvell  and  I  staying  with 
the  boat  on  the  far  side  of  the  lead  until  relief  could  reach 
us  from  the  ship.  Soon  we  saw  Jack  Cole,  the  boat- 
swain, accompanied  by  a  party  of  men,  hastening  in  our 
direction.  Following  my  orders,  they  abandoned  the  sled, 
and  picked  their  way  across  the  lead ;  then  by  means  of 
a  long  painter  or  tow-line,  with  a  man  on  each  side  to 
support  the  boat,  it  was  shortly  hauled  over. 

Captain  De  Long,  his  head  bandaged  up  because  of  a 
bout  with  the  windmill,  and  Dr.  Ambler,  came  out  to 
meet  us ;  and  I  cannot  say  which  were  more  pleased,  the 
greeters  or  the  greeted.  As  for  me,  all  toils  and  aches 
were  amply  compensated  for  by  that  welcome,  "  Well 
done,  old  fellow  ;  I  am  glad  to  see  you  back."  And  the 
doctor,  generous  soul  that  he  was,  inquiring  first  after  the 
health  of  the  party,  said  in  his  hearty  way,  "  Old  man, 
I  am  glad  you  have  had  the  opportunity  of  first  unfurl- 
ing our  flag  with  honor."  Not  a  demonstrative  man 
was  the  doctor,  but  our  hug  was  a  close  one  and  heart- 
felt. 

Before  boarding  the  ship  I  was  greatly  surprised  at  dis- 
covering the  hour  of  day  to  be  only  nine  A.  M.  Sharvell 
and  I,  when  left  alone,  had  regaled  ourselves  with  some 
hot  broth,  supposing  it  to  be  noontime.  I  found,  upon 
comparing  my  own  with  the  ship's  chronometer,  that  it 
had  not  deviated,  and  so  reached  the  conclusion  that  we 
had  been  prematurely  awakened,  when  on  the  island,  by 
the  unusual   brightness  of  the  sun  clearing  away  the 


26  IN  THE  LENA  DELTA. 

clouds  and  fog  and  shining  in  upon  us.  Hence  we  must 
have  started  at  three  A.  M.,  instead  of  six ;  which  ac- 
counts for  our  close,  unnoticed  approach  to  the  ship  with 
colors  flying,  before  eight  A.  m.,  when  the  crew  began  to 
stir  around. 


CHAPTER  III. 
CAST  UPON  THE  ICE. 

Life  in  the  Upper  Cabin.  —  Our  Situation.  —  The  Jeannette  goes 
down.  —  Camping.  —  Marching. 

We  now  had  new  matter  for  discussion  in  the  little 
cabin.  Indeed  there  had  never  been  a  stagnation  of  ar- 
gument there,  where  all  exchanged  ideas  freely,  and 
courted  criticism.  Some  of  the  opinions  promulgated 
therein  were  no  less  interesting  than  original.  For  in- 
stance, one  of  the  mess,  ever  happy  and  contented,  con- 
sidered it  a  very  fortunate  thing  indeed  that  the  ship 
leaked,  inasmuch  as  the  men  were  thereby  "trained  and 
exercised ; "  and  it  was  so  cheerful  to  lie  awake  in  his 
berth  at  night  listening  to  the  merry  "chug"  of  the 
pump ! 

But  now  we  devoted  our  time  to  the  consideration  of 
the  serious  circumstances  which  so  thickly  beset  us.  We 
were  all  persuaded  that  the  chances  of  the  ship  holding 
together,  in  the  present  state  of  the  ice,  were  not  one 
in  a  thousand.  Yet  she  might;  but  what  then?  This 
was  the  supreme  question  which  constantly  presented  it- 
self to  the  minds  of  all :  whether  it  would  not  be  wiser 
to  abandon  the  ship  at  once,  and  make  for  the  nearest 
land  (New  Siberian  Islands),  instead  of  tarrying  for  the 
fall  travel.  De  Long  naturally  wished  to  stay  by  the  ship 
until  the  end,  or  so  long  as  the  provisions  lasted,  propos- 
ing that  we  remain  until  they  had  dwindled  down  to  an 
allowance  of  ninety  days  for  our  retreat.     Had  a  vote 


28  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

been  taken  of  those  who  gave  the  matter  their  undivided 
thought,  there  is  scarcely  any  doubt  in  my  mind  but  that 
a  majority  would  have  decided  to  abandon  the  vessel 
about  the  middle  of  June. 

However,  we  had  no  discretion  whatever  in  the  mat- 
ter. She  left  us,  after  sheltering  us  for  so  many  dreary 
months  ;  delivering  us,  Caesar-like,  upon  the  floe,  amid 
the  crashing  of  her  poor  old  ribs. 

On  the  evening  of  June  10th  the  motion  of  the  ice 
became  more  violent,  the  floes  far  and  near  cracking 
and  grinding  continually.  In  the  silence  of  the  night, 
when  most  of  the  company  had  retired,  the  ice  started  to 
split  around  us  with  fearful  frequency  ;  each  successive 
shock  being  transmitted  to  the  ship  as  to  a  centre,  and 
resounding  with  awful  distinctness  upon  her  sides  like 
death  strokes.  That  night  it  was  my  tour  from  nine  to 
twelve  P.  M.,  and  as  officer  of  the  watch  it  was  part  of 
my  duty  to  record  the  readings  of  the  instruments  placed 
on  the  ice.  Just  before  the  bell  struck  eight  for  the  mid- 
night hour,  and  while  I  was  yet  on  the  gang  plank  mak- 
ing my  way  towards  the  observatory,  a  sharp  report  like 
that  of  a  gun  rang  out  on  the  air,  starting  the  company 
from  their  bunks.  The  floe  had  split  fore  and  aft  on  a 
line  with  our  keel,  and  the  ship,  oscillating  for  a  few  min- 
utes, came  at  last  to  a  rest  with  her  starboard  side  close 
to  the  ice,  the  other  floe-piece,  on  which  were  the  dogs, 
observatory,  and  a  few  small  articles,  moving  off  to  a 
distance  of  a  hundred  yards  or  more. 

Our  situation  was  now  full  of  peril. 

"  Well,"  said  De  Long  in  cheery  tones  to  Dunbar, 
"  what  do  you  think  of  it  ?  " 

"  She  will  either  be  under  the  floe  or  on  top  of  it  be- 
fore to-morrow  night,"  replied  he. 

And  so  it  was. 

After  the  ship  had  been  hauled  ahead  and  fastened 
within  a  little   cove   affording  a  slight   protection,    all 


CAST   UPON  THE  ICE.  29 

hands  save  the  watch  turned  in.  Before  seven  o'clock 
the  next  morning  the  detatched  floe-piece,  cruelly  pro- 
longing our  fate,  had  approached  alongside  of  us,  and 
backed  off  again.  Breakfast  over,  certain  of  the  men,  ac- 
cording to  custom,  started  off  hunting,  leaving  the  rest  of 
us  to  ponder  our  predicament.  Once  more  the  ice  drew 
near,  this  time  closing  with  the  ship  and  squeezing  her 
gently,  as  though  to  test  her  mettle.  The  poor  Jean- 
nette  groaned,  and  the  attacking  floe,  apparently  satis- 
fied, eased  off.  Meanwhile,  there  were  no  signs  of  trep- 
idation among  officers  or  men.  The  usual  signal  was 
given  for  the  return  of  the  hunters,  and  they  came  strag- 
gling in  as  if  ignorant  of  the  impending  disaster.  Yet 
all  were  aware  of  it,  and  fully  appreciated  how  imminent 
it  was.  Preparations  had  been  made  for  such  a  catas- 
trophe ever  since  we  entered  the  ice ;  every  officer  and 
man  had  his  appointed  duty  to  perform,  and  hence  there 
was  neither  noise  nor  confusion  when  it  did  occur. 

About  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  ice  was  quiet, 
the  sun  shining  brightly,  and  the  position  of  the  vessel  so 
strikingly  picturesque  that  De  Long  told  me  to  bring  out 
the  camera  and  photograph  her.  I  had  been  acting  as 
photographer  during  the  voyage,  and  had  taken  a  num- 
ber of  fine  views,  —  all  of  which,  however,  were  lost  with 
the  ship.  While  developing  my  plate  in  the  dark  room, 
word  was  passed  for  all  hands  to  abandon  ship,  calling 
every  one  except  the  sick  to  his  post.  Under  Captain 
De  Long's  direction,  the  colors  were  hoisted  to  the  mast- 
head, the  boats  lowered,  and,  together  with  the  sleds, 
tents,  provisions,  and  general  equipment,  placed  on  the 
ice  about  five  hundred  yards  back  from  the  edge.  Dr. 
Ambler  took  charge  of  the  sick,  and  with  the  aid  of  sev- 
eral men  rescued  his  medical  stores.  Mr.  Chipp  was  the 
only  patient  who  really  required  assistance,  and  this 
there  were  many  hands  to  tender,  he  being  a  favorite 
with  all.     Everything  was  conducted  quietly  but  vigor- 


30  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

ously,  and  superintended  by  De  Long,  who  stood  coolly 
smoking  bis  pipe  on  tbe  ship's  bridge. 

As  the  ice  continued  crowding  in,  the  ship  heeled  over 
more  and  more,  until  it  became  impossible  to  stand  on 
deck  without  clinging  to  something.  The  forecastle 
watch  had  supped,  and  the  others  were  about  to  follow 
suit,  when  the  water  suddenly  began  to  rise,  and  so 
swiftly  that  many  could  not  escape  by  the  ladder  and 
companion-way,  but  were  forced  to  leap  through  the  deck 
ventilator.  So  those  of  us  at  work  on  floe  and  deck  lost 
the  last  evening  meal. 

Every  one  at  length  having  left  the  vessel,  De  Long 
jumped  on  the  floe,  and  waving  his  cap  cried,  "  Good 
by,  old  ship  !  "  then  commanding  that  thereafter  no  one 
should  venture  on  board  of  her. 

We  now  set  about  preparing  our  camp,  tenting,  as  had 
been  arranged  months  before,  by  boat  crews,  in  command 
of  the  officers  originally  detailed,  except  Lieutenant 
Chipp ;  whose  tent,  by  reason  of  his  sickness,  was  given 
in  charge  of  Mr.  Dunbar.  Our  boats  consisted  of  the 
first  cutter  (to  have  two  tents),  the  second  cutter,  the 
first  whale-boat,  and  the  second  whale-boat ;  but  consid- 
ering the  long  march  ahead  of  us  before  we  might  meet 
with  open  water,  if,  indeed,  we  came  up  with  any  at  all, 
Captain  De  Long  very  wisely  concluded  to  reserve  but 
three  boats ;  so  the  second  whale-boat,  being  the  most  un- 
wieldy, was  left  hanging  at  the  davits.  The  tents  erected, 
the  coffee  made,  and  supper  eaten,  we  finally  turned  in. 

And  here  we  were,  cast  out  upon  the  ice  five  hundred 
miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  Lena  River,  our  nearest 
hope  of  succor ;  with  a  sick  list,  and  a  limited  supply  of 
food.  Yet,  although  the  seriousness  of  our  situation  was 
appreciated  by  all,  none  were  despondent,  many  merry, 
and  shortly  after  the  boatswain  "  piped  down,"  the  whole 
camp  was  lost  in  slumber. 

And  thankful  were  we  to  make  our  beds  on  snow  in- 


CAST  UPON  THE  ICE.  31 

stead  of  beneath  the  sea,  where  honest  Jack  so  often 
finds  his  endless  rest.  Honest  Jack !  Proverbial  for 
his  growling,  when  the  day  is  fair  and  life  is  rosy ;  for 
his  cheerfulness,  in  times  of  danger  and  distress. 

We  had  slept  but  a  few  hours  when  a  loud  report  like 
that  of  a  cannon  awoke  us.  The  floe  had  split  in  every 
direction,  one  crack  making  directly  into  our  camp 
through  the  centre  of  De  Long's  tent;  and  had  it  not 
been  for  the  weight  of  the  sleepers  on  either  end  of  the 
rubber  blanket,  those  in  the  middle  must  inevitably  have 
dropped  into  the  sea.  As  it  was,  they  were  rescued  with 
great  difficulty  ;  and  in  an  instant  the  camp  was  alive 
again.  Although  the  boats,  sleds,  and  provisions  had 
been  placed  close  to  the  tents  to  avoid  separation  by 
just  such  a  happening  as  this,  we  now  found  ourselves 
drifting  slowly  away  from  them.  Boards  were  at  once 
thrown  across  the  crack,  nimble  feet  sped  back  and 
forth,  the  sleds  and  boats  were  successfully  jumped  over, 
and  when  the  gap  had  widened  beyond  the  length  of  the 
planks,  a  way  was  discovered  around  it.  The  provisions 
recovered,  our  tents  were  quickly  shifted  farther  back 
from  the  edge  of  the  floe,  and  we  were  soon  dozing  again 
in  our  sleeping-bags.  During  the  early  hours  of  the 
morning  Kiilme,  the  watch,  had  attentively  observed  the 
ship,  as  she  swayed  to  and  fro,  creaking  and  groaning 
with  the  movements  of  the  ice.  Towards  four  o'clock, 
the  hour  for  him  to  summon  relief,  he  suddenly  an- 
nounced, in  addition  to  his  stage  whisper  to  Bartlett, 
"  Turn  out,  if  you  want  to  see  the  last  of  the  Jeannette. 
There  she  goes  !     There  she  goes  !  " 

Most  of  us  had  barely  time  to  arise  and  look  out, 
when,  amid  the  rattling  and  banging  of  her  timbers  and 
iron-work,  the  ship  righted  and  stood  almost  upright ; 
the  floes  that  had  come  in  and  crushed  her  slowly  backed 
off ;  and  as  she  sank  with  slightly  accelerated  velocity, 
the  yard-arms  were  stripped  and  broken  upward  parallel 


32  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

to  the  masts ;  and  so,  like  a  great,  gaunt  skeleton  clap- 
ping its  hands  above  its  bead,  sbe  plunged  out  of  sight. 
Those  of  us  who  saw  her  go  down,  did  so  with  mingled 
feelings  of  sadness  and  relief.  We  were  now  utterly  iso- 
lated, beyond  any  rational  hope  of  aid ;  with  our  proper 
means  of  escape,  to  which  so  many  pleasant  associations 
attached,  destroyed  before  our  eyes ;  and  hence  it  was 
no  wonder  we  felt  lonely,  and  in  a  sense  that  few  can 
appreciate.  But  we  were  satisfied,  since  we  knew  full 
well  that  the  ship's  usefulness  had  long  ago  passed  away, 
and  we  could  now  start  at  once,  the  sooner  the  better, 
on  our  long  march  to  the  south. 

It  was  nearly  a  week  before  we  were  ready  to  take  up 
our  march,  and  during  this  time  a  thorough  organization 
of  the  crew  was  effected.  No  matter  what  the  issue 
might  be,  we  were  all  overjoyed  when  the  day  of  depart- 
ure at  last  arrived.  Certainly,  judging  from  the  march- 
ing experiences  of  all  previous  Arctic  expeditions,  we 
had  a  most  dismal  prospect  ahead  of  us.  The  crew  of 
the  Thegetoff,  it  is  true,  all  escaped  ;  but  they  had  been 
so  fortunate  as  to  encounter  open  water  less  than  one 
degree  of  latitude  from  where  they  abandoned  their 
ship.  And  only  by  a  similar  good  fortune  could  we 
hope  to  make  good  our  retreat ;  for  all  these  marches 
were  as  mere  bagatelles  compared  with  the  one  before 
us. 

Previous  to  the  loss  of  the  ship,  Captain  De  Long  had 
taken  accurate  observations  for  position  almost  daily, 
and  after  we  were  cast  out  upon  the  ice  they  were  se- 
cured whenever  the  weather  would  allow.  Our  route 
had  long  been  a  subject  for  discussion  among  the  officers. 
We  had  been  drifting  so  rapidly  toward  the  west  during 
the  last  few  months,  that  the  New  Siberian  Islands  were 
pitched  upon  as  a  resting-place  on  our  way  to  the  Lena 
River,  which  we  had  selected  for  our  point  of  destina- 
tion, knowing  it  to  be  navigated  by  steamboats,  and  its 


CAST  UPON  THE  ICE.  33 

banks  thickly  inhabited.  Hence  if  we  could  succeed  in 
entering  it  before  winter  set  in,  our  difficulties  would 
thereafter  be  few. 

Accordingly,  the  line  of  retreat  was  laid  due  south, 
and,  at  first,  "  true,"  —  De  Long  and  Dunbar  performing 
this  part  of  the  work  with  a  series  of  black  flags.  On 
the  evening  of  June  16th  orders  were  issued  changing 
our  working  hours ;  so  that  we  slept  during  the  day 
and  labored  at  night.  This  was  done  for  various  rea- 
sons, chief  of  which  were  that  by  such  an  arrangement 
we  avoided  snow-blindness  from  the  sun's  glare,  and 
could  sleep  sounder  and  warmer,  while  our  wet  clothes 
were  drying  on  the  boats  and  tent-tops.  Again,  it  is 
decidedly  less  fatiguing  to  march  and  haul  in  the  crisp 
air  of  night,  or  when  the  sun  is  low,  than  when  it  is 
high  and  strong.  The  temperature  during  the  day  in 
summer-time  usually  runs  up  to  the  melting-point  of  ice, 
—  sometimes  as  far  as  forty  degrees,  —  whereas  it  al- 
ways freezes  at  night,  even  in  midsummer,  when  the 
sun  has  been  most  powerful ;  and  I  have  often  observed 
the  ice  melting  on  the  sunny  side  of  the  ship  while  water 
was  freezing  on  the  shady  side. 

Before  turning  in  on  the  morning  of  the  17th,  I  con- 
veyed, by  De  Long's  orders,  a  dog-sled  load  of  provisions 
for  our  next  day's  dinner,  to  what  I  supposed  was  the 
farthest  flag ;  but  unfortunately  it  had  fallen  down,  and 
the  depot  I  made  was  nearly  half  a  mile  short  of  it. 
Our  division  of  labor  was  as  follows  :  Captain  De  Long 
and  Mr.  Dunbar,  as  mentioned  before,  laid  out  the  course 
and  selected  the  roads;  Dr.  Ambler  had  charge  of  the 
sick,  and  with  the  aid  of  a  dog-team  attended  to  their 
transportation,  as  well  as  that  of  the  medical  stores,  tent, 
etc.,  having  also  the  direction  of  the  road-making,  bridg- 
ing, and  rafting;  for  throughout  the  entire  march  we 
were  forced  to  make  our  roads,  never  coming,  except 
once,  upon  a  straight  floe-piece  more  than  half  a  mile  long 

3 


34  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

where  a  horse  could  be  driven  without  imminent  danger 
of  breaking  its  legs.  Owing  to  the  sickness  of  Chipp 
and  Danenhower,  I  commanded  the  working  gang.  Our 
first  day's  work  was  a  hard  one,  and  disastrous  to  the 
sledges.  It  had  been  imagined  that  each  party  could  ad- 
vance its  sledge,  and  then  all  return  in  a  body  for  the 
boats ;  but  upon  trial  this  was  found  to  be  utterly  im- 
possible, and  as  De  Long  thought  it  best  to  first  haul 
forward  the  boats,  in  order  to  have  at  the  front  the 
tents,  cooking  utensils,  and  sleeping-bags,  which  were 
stowed  in  them,  I  proceeded  to  advance  the  first  cutter. 
Probably  two  thirds  of  the  working  force  were  equipped 
with  harness,  called  "  ruy  ruddies,"  or  double  bands  of 
stitched  canvas  about  two  inches  wide  and  long  enough 
to  pass  over  one  shoulder  and  under  the  other  arm,  after 
the  manner  of  a  baldric ;  and  into  an  eyelet  of  which  is 
attached  a  lanyard  made  of  one  inch  and  a  half  tarred 
stuff,  furnished  with  a  wooden  button  at  the  free  end. 
Aided  by  these,  the  men  seized  the  drag-rope,  and,  sur- 
rounding the  boat  to  keep  it  upright,  began  hauling  it 
through  the  deep,  soggy  snow,  which  at  times  reached  to 
our  waists.  Whooping  and  singing,  we  at  last  carried 
and  dragged  it  as  far  as  the  depot  of  supplies  that  I  had 
deposited  the  clay  before ;  but  here,  very  much  to  our 
surprise,  Mr.  Dunbar  announced  that  the  farthest  flag, 
to  which  we  were  ordered  to  advance,  was  still  half,  a 
mile  beyond.  Orders  are  orders,  particularly  in  a  fix 
such  as  we  were  in,  which  allowed  of  no  discretion  what- 
ever, so  forward  we  went.  The  first  pull  when  we  were 
fresh  and  vigorous  had  not  been  especially  distressing, 
but  before  we  had  accomplished  this  second  and  unex- 
pected march  we  were  all  utterly  fagged  out,  two  of  the 
men  being  unable  to  stand  ;  so  they  were  both  left  seated 
in  the  snow,  the  one  drawn  up  with  cramps  in  his  legs, 
and  the  other  with  a  similar  attack  in  his  stomach. 

We  found  the  camp  in  a  violent  state  of  commotion. 


CAST   UPON  THE  ICE.  35 

Immediately  after  we  had  left  on  our  march,  the  floe 
whereon  the  camp  was  pitched  began  to  break  up  and 
run  into  ridges.  When  we  arrived,  De  Long,  having 
seen  the  sick  moved  forward  to  the  depot  of  supplies, 
was  with  half  a  dozen  of  men  strenuously  trying  to  get 
the  boats  and  sleds  across  the  gaping  leads  in  the  ice. 
The  state  of  affairs  was  very  dismal  indeed;  our  begin- 
ning was  discouraging,  and  it  really  looked  as  though, 
metaphorically,  we  would  never  get  to  Texas ;  many 
even  said  they  did  n't  care.  However,  there  was  need  of 
prompt  action  ;  the  boats  containing  the  provisions  must 
be  bounced  across  the  leads  at  once ;  so  all  hands  were 
placed  on  one  boat  or  sled  at  a  time,  and  when  the  pass- 
ing floes  came  together  we  hurried  it  over  ;  many  of  us 
with  a  firm  grip  on  the  drag-rope  dashing  into  the  slush 
and  water  "  neck  and  heels,"  to  be  hauled  out  by  our 
companions  ahead.  Thus,  amid  roars  of  laughter  and 
good-humored  banter,  we  succeeded  late  in  the  after- 
noon in  again  bringing  all  our  baggage  together.  But 
the  sleds  had  been  so  badly  damaged  that  it  was  neces- 
sary to  unload  and  lash  them  again,  besides  lightening  the 
freight  of  the  smallest  ones.  This  caused  another  day's 
delay.  Meanwhile  the  first  cutter  was  fully  half  a  mile 
in  front  of  us  ;  but  as  she  lay  in  the  centre  of  a  large, 
solid  floe-piece  we  were  but  little  alarmed  for  her  wel- 
fare. We  had  now  learned  several  valuable  lessons ; 
namely,  the  importance  of  keeping  ourselves  and  goods 
well  together,  of  not  permitting  too  great  a  distance  to 
intervene  between  our  depots,  and  of  not  transporting 
any  of  our  baggage  across  a  fissure  or  lead  in  the  ice 
until  we  had  first  brought  all  of  it  up  to  the  ferry. 

But  imagine  our  chagrin  at  failing  to  be  able  to  haul 
together  two  of  the  lightest  sleds,  and  being  compelled  to 
advance  them  singly.  By  this  arrangement,  in  order  to 
forward  our  eight  pieces  of  baggage,  we  must  pass  over 
the  course  thirteen  times,  or,  to  make  one  mile  good  in 


36  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

a  straight  line,  we  must  march  thirteen.  Thus,  because 
of  the  devious  nature  of  our  course,  the  floe  being  broken 
and  hummocky,  we  would  toil  hard  from  seven  P.  M.  to 
six,  seven,  and  often  nine  A.  M.,  traveling  from  twenty- 
five  to  thirty-two  miles  to  be  gladdened  by  a  direct  pro- 
gress of  only  two  or  two  and  a  half  miles. 

Profiting  from  the  experience  of  the  first  day,  we  trav- 
eled more  easily  on  the  second.  In  the  matter  of  lash- 
ings for  the  sleds  we  found  hemp  to  be  much  better  than 
the  raw  (walrus)  hide,  upon  which  we  had  relied  so 
much.  Perhaps  in  cold  weather  walrus  hide  may  make 
a  better  lashing,  but  I  doubt  it,  and  am  of  the  opinion 
that  the  only  advantage  attaching  to  its  use  is  that  upon 
a  pinch  it  can  be  eaten.  Indeed,  fresh  walrus  hide 
roasted  with  the  hair  on  is  toothsome  at  any  time,  and 
many  members  of  our  company  feasted  on  it  after  con- 
suming their  rations  of  pemmican.  We  also  learned 
that  the  mere  stupid  exertion  of  strength,  upon  which, 
backed  by  a  little  "  luck,"  sailors  are  too  prone  to  depend 
for  the  overcoming  of  their  difficulties,  was  not  the  proper 
way  for  us  to  accomplish  a  good  day's  work.  Nursing  a 
weak  sled ;  bridging  at  certain  times ;  going  round  a 
hummock  to  avoid  cutting  out  a  road,  —  all  these  expe- 
dients served  us  in  good  stead. 

Our  daily  toil  had  little  of  variety  in  it.  When  all 
hands  had  been  called,  the  cook  of  each  tent  drew  three 
quarters  of  a  pint  of  alcohol  from  the  doctor,  which  used 
in  our  stoves  would  in  about  fifteen  minutes  bring  to  a 
boiling  point  thirteen  pints  of  water,  melted  from  the 
moist  snow  that  we  found  on  the  high  hummocks.  The 
issue  of  provisions  was  made  by  the  carpenter,  each  cook 
drawing  from  "  Jack-o'-the-dust "  his  amount  of  bread, 
pemmican,  sugar,  and  coffee,  and  the  officer  of  the  tent 
seeing  that  the  food  was  equally  divided  among  the  men. 
We  also  had  a  half  ounce  per  man  per  day  of  Liebig's 
extract,  rations  of  which  were  served  out  to  each  tent, 


CAST   UPON  THE  ICE.  37 

generally  at  midnight,  for  soup,  or  according  as  the  offi- 
cer saw  fit  to  dispose  of  the  hot  water,  the  limit  of  which 
was  governed  by  the  supply  of  alcohol  issued.  To  secure 
an  impartial  distribution  of  food  in  tent  number  four,  I 
detailed  Adolf  Gortz,  seaman,  to  divide  the  bread  and 
pemmican  into  six  equal  parts,  putting  each  part  in  a 
small  tin  basin  or  pan.  These  were  then  placed  in  the 
centre  of  the  tent  and  each  man  ordered  to  take  a  pan, 
which  most  did  with  astonishing  alacrity,  Gortz  and  I 
appropriating  the  remaining  two. 

We  usually  took  up  our  march  at  seven  o'clock,  sharp, 
continued  it  until  midnight,  allowed  one  hour  for  dinner 
and  rest,  and  then  endeavored  to  bring  all  the  boats  and 
sleds  together  by  six  A.  M.,  for  supper  and  sleep;  but  in 
this  we  were  not  always  successful,  our  labors  often  ex- 
tending to  nine  A.  M.  Then  the  camp  must  be  made. 
The  ground,  generally  selected  by  De  Long  and  Dunbar, 
must  be  level,  and  the  ice  beneath  the  snow  free  of  water 
and  cracks.  Frequently  it  was  impossible  to  find  such  a 
situation  ;  so  a  scramble  would  ensue  for  the  best  places 
upon  which  to  pitch  the  tents,  and  this  brought  about  so 
much  contention  that  every  one  was  at  length  forbidden 
to  choose  any  particular  spot  until  all  the  boats  and  sleds 
were  in  and  arranged  for  the  night.  Then  the  word  was 
passed,  and  several  men  from  each  party  shouldered  the 
tents,  poles  and  all,  and  set  them  up  on  the  best  available 
spots  in  the  near  vicinity  of  the  baggage.  Camp  made, 
the  kettles  were  put  on,  each  man,  officers  excepted, 
serving  a  week  as  cook;  and,  supper  over,  the  sleeping- 
bags  and  knapsacks  were  gotten  out.  But  before  turning 
in  we  repaired  our  clothes  and  moccasins  for  the  next 
day's  march,  hanging  out  such  articles  as  were  wet  to 
dry.  A  watch  of  one  hour  for  each  man  was  set,  begin- 
ning with  tent  one,  and  continuing  on  to  and  through 
number  six,  the  officers  and  sick  being  alone  excused 
from  duty.     If  any  of  the  sleds  required  lashing,  it  was 


38  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

done  before  turning  in,  unless  the  work  was  trivial,  when 
the  watch  attended  to  it,  —  our  aim  being  to  permit 
nothing  to  check  our  progress  except  the  necessary  halts 
for  rest  and  repairs. 

Next  to  the  labor  of  hauling  the  boats  and  sleds,  our 
greatest  hardship  consisted  in  the  almost  constant  wet- 
ting we  received.  True,  we  carried  several  extra  suits 
of  clothing  for  general  use,  but  among  so  many  they 
could  be  of  little  advantage,  and  we  soon  came  to  pay  no 
attention  to  our  frequent  soakings.  Our  course  was  laid 
out  with  two  rows  of  flags,  between  which  it  was  my 
duty  to  take  the  straightest  line  practicable,  and  since 
this  rendered  it  impossible  for  us  to  keep  dry  all  day,  we 
argued  "as  well  early  as  late,"  and  so  pushed  boldly 
through  the  ponds  of  slush  and  water  which  lay  knee 
deep  in  our  path,  making  detours  only  with  the  precious 
bread  sled.  As  far  as  our  moccasins  were  concerned, 
there  was  not  a  man  in  the  working  force  at  the  end  of 
the  first  three  weeks  who  wore  a  tight  pair  on  his  feet. 
Traveling  in  summer-time  through  the  water  and  wet 
snow,  the  raw  hide  softens  to  the  consistency  of  fresh 
tripe,  and  then  —  what  with  the  hauls  on  the  drag-rope 
and  the  slipping  of  feet  on  the  pointed  ice  —  the  mocca- 
sins are  soon  gone.  Many,  many  times  after  a  day's 
march  have  I  seen  no  less  than  six  of  my  men  standing 
with  their  bare  feet  on  the  ice,  having  worn  off  the  very 
soles  of  their  stockings.  Nor  would  it  have  been  possi- 
ble to  avoid  this,  since  we  could  not  have  carried  enough 
uoog-joog"  skin,  of  which  moccasin  soles  are  made,  to 
have  kept  alone  our  boats  in  repair. 

Many  were  the  devices  to  which  we  resorted  in  order 
to  keep  our  feet  from  off  the  ice.  At  first  we  made  soles 
by  sewing  patch  upon  patch  of  "oog-joog."  Then  we 
tried  the  leather  of  the  oar-looms,  but  it  was  too  slip- 
pery, as  was  also  the  sheet  rubber,  which  some  of  the 
men  had   thrown  away.     We  used  canvas;    sewed- our 


CAST  UPON  THE  ICE.  39 

knapsack-straps  into  little  patches  for  our  heels  and  the 
balls  of  our  feet ;  platted  rope-yarns,  hemp,  and  manilla 
into  a  similar  protection,  with  soles  of  wood  ;  and  platted 
whole  mats  the  shape  of  our  feet.  A  large  number 
marched  with  their  toes  protruding  through  their  mocca- 
sins ;  some  with  the  "  uppers  "  full  of  holes,  out  of  which 
the  water  and  slush  spurted  at  every  step.  Yet  no  one 
murmured  so  long  as  his  feet  were  clear  of  the  ice,  and  I 
have  here  to  say  that  no  ship's  company  ever  endured 
such  severe  toil  with  such  little  complaint.  Another 
crew,  perhaps,  may  be  found  to  do  as  well ;  but  better  — 
never ! 


CHAPTER  IV. 

RETREATING   OVER  THE  PACK. 

Game.  —  Retrogression.  —  Beans.  — Progress  at  last.  —  Bennett  Isl- 
and. —  In  the  Boats.  —  Our  Dogs.  —  Threading  the  Leads. 

On  the  first  Sunday  of  each  month,  as  had  been  our 
custom  since  leaving  San  Francisco,  the  Act  for  the  Bet- 
ter Government  of  the  Navy  was  read,  with  prayers  ;  and 
saving  this  mild  diversion,  our  daily  routine  continued 
without  variation, —  an  occasional  accident  to  the  sleds,  or 
an  unusual  amount  of  bridging  or  ferrying,  alone  delay- 
ing our  forced  march.  When  we  had  been  on  the  retreat 
several  weeks,  Captain  De  Long  secured  a  good  obser- 
vation of  the  sun,  and  learned  therefrom,  very  much  to 
his  astonishment  and  chagrin,  that  we  had  drifted  about 
twenty -four  miles  into  the  northwest.  There  was  no 
doubt  about  it ;  his  conclusions  were  confirmed  by  a 
"  Sumner,"  and  our  situation  now  seemed  absolutely 
hopeless.  After  daily  marching  from  twenty -five  to 
thirty  miles  for  two  weeks,  to  find  that  we  had  retroceded 
twenty-four  miles  ! 

In  order  to  cross  the  streams  of  running  ice  at  right 
angles,  De  Long  now  changed  the  course  from  south, 
true,  to  south  southwest.  We  all  knew  that  we  must 
eventually  come  upon  open  water  by  marching  due  south, 
however  much  we  drifted  to  the  north  and  west.  It  was 
merely  a  question  of  time  ;  yet  we  had  but  sixty  days' 
provisions,  a  journey  of  five  hundred  miles  before  us, 
and  we  might  not  be  able  to  take  our  boats  to  water, 
and  then  only  to  be  frozen  in. 


RETREATING   OVER    THE  PACK.  41 

Wrapped  in  my  sleeping-bag,  it  was  amusing  to  lie 
and  hear  the  men  prate  of  their  past  joys  at  the  table. 
After  enumerating  every  toothsome  thing  they  had  ever 
eaten,  all  would  finally  agree  that  the  best  dinners  on 
board  the  Jeannette  were  those  of  Wednesday,  —  the 
"  bean  day,"  when  "  duff,"  the  sailor's  delight,  was  also 
served.  And  a  wail  would  go  up  over  the  remembrance 
that,  having  these  two  delicacies  in  one  day,  it  was  im- 
possible to  do  justice  to  both,  so  either  duff  or  beans 
must  be  neglected.  Then  would  follow  confessions  of 
what  had  been  done  with  the  surplus :  the  generous 
fellow  telling  how  he  had  given  what  duff  he  could  n't 
eat  to  the  Chinese  cook  ;  the  funny  fellow,  how  he  had 
presented  his  to  Iniguin,  just  to  see  him  swallow  mo- 
lasses, or  had  eaten  it  all  and  cried  for  more ;  and  the 
mean  fellow  acknowledging  that  he  would  not  even 
throw  his  to  the  dogs,  but  had  kept  both  beans  and  duff, 
and  consumed  them  cold. 

De  Long  craved  a  few  fried  oysters,  while  Ambler  and 
myself  were  wont,  in  fancy,  to  chuckle  over  a  whole  can- 
vas-back duck,  or  turkey,  or  young  wild  goose  ;  however, 
—  "A  whole  one,  you  know,  old  fellow."  Not,  perhaps, 
that  either  of  us  would  eat  all  of  it,  but  then  the  luxury 
of  carving  and  feasting  on  just  such  parts  as  we  chose, 
each  to  his  own  taste  and  from  his  own  goose  —  ah  !  — 

"  Ha,  ha  !  "  —  from  Chipp,  —  "  you  dainty  little  ones. 
A  broiled  partridge  on  toast,  eh  ?  A  ten-cent  plate  of 
hash  is  what  you  '11  get  instead  —  maybe  hog's  jowl  and 
greens."  This  or  such  another  sally  generally  awakened 
us  from  our  day-dreaming,  the  bright  fancies  of  which, 
alas  !  so  few  of  us  lived  to  realize. 

Perhaps  a  week  subsequent  to  the  discovery  that  we 
had  been  drifting  into  the  northwest,  Captain  De  Long 
learned,  from  another  observation,  that  we  had  at  last 
made  good  about  twenty-one  miles.  The  men  had  be- 
come despondent   and   suspicious,  rightly  guessing   the 


42  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

reason  why  the  results  of  the  first  observation  had  been 
kept  secret.  So  now,  when  all  but  one  piece  of  baggage 
had  been  advanced,  I  announced  the  good  news  in  a  loud 
voice :  "  Boys,  the  captain  says  we  have  made  twenty- 
one  miles  good  during  the  past  week,  and  that  we  now 
have  a  current  in  our  favor." 

A  cheer  arose  from  one  end  of  the  line  to  the  other, 
and  the  last  sled  was  rushed  to  the  front  with  renewed 
vigor. 

And  now  a  bright  vision  arose  before  our  eyes,  cheer- 
ing all.  We  had  been  marching  toward  the  New  Sibe- 
rian Islands,  and  for  several  days  a  dark  cloud  hanging  in 
the  south-southwestern  sky  had  been  anxiously  watched. 
Finally,  at  noon  of  the  11th  or  12th  of  July,  the  sun 
shone  clearly  in  the  southward,  and  the  land  stood  boldly 
revealed ;  its  blue  mountain  peaks  rising  grandly  aloft, 
the  ice  and  water  showing  plainly  below,  while  a  white, 
dazzling  cloud  floated  dreamily  above  —  in  all  the  most 
perfect  scene  of  isolated  or  insular  land  ever  viewed  at 
a  distance  in  the  Arctic  Ocean.  It  inspired  us  with 
new  hope  and  life,  and  we  toiled  forward  as  to  a  second 
Land  of  Promise.  Approaching  nearer,  the  ice  became 
looser,  the  leads  more  frequent,  and  game  more  plenti- 
ful. On  two  or  thi'ee  occasions  we  had  seal  for  supper ; 
and  at  length,  just  before  effecting  a  landing,  Gortz  shot 
and  killed  a  bear,  whose  carcass,  as  we  were  now  de- 
tained on  the  ice  for  a  day  or  two  in  the  fog  and  sleet, 
very  miserable  in  our  wet  tents,  wet  clothes,  and  on 
our  soft,  wet  snow  beds,  was  a  most  welcome  addition 
to  our  meagre  diet.  With  the  empty  pemmican  cans  for 
stoves,  we  fried  his  steaks,  broiled  his  chops,  roasted  his 
paws,  and  made  stews  of  his  flank  pieces,  using  his  blub- 
ber for  fuel. 

Meanwhile  the  ice  surged  back  and  forth  with  the  ebb 
and  flow  of  the  tide,  tending  steadily  to  the  eastward. 
Should  we  drift  past  the  island  it  would  be  utterly  im- 


RETREATING   OVER    THE  PACK.  43 

possible  to  recover  our  lost  ground ;  so  on  the  morning 
of  the  second  day  we  prepared  to  make  a  dash  for  the 
land,  on  which,  though  not  in  sight,  we  could  hear  the 
constant  grinding  of  the  ice  and  the  calling  of  the  sea- 
birds  among  the  cliffs.  Suddenly,  as  we  approached,  the 
sun,  as  though  by  an  extraordinary  effort,  rent  the  cloud 
veil  in  twain,  and  lo  !  before  us,  so  close  that  it  seemed 
we  might  step  on  shore,  uprose  and  towered  to  a  height 
of  3,000  feet  the  almost  perpendicular  masses  of  black 
basaltic  rock,  stained  here  and  there  with  patches  of  red 
lichens,  and  begrimed  with  the  decayed  vegetable  mat- 
ter of  unknown  ages,  the  bold  projections  fissured  and 
seamed,  and  the  giant  rocks  split  and  powdered  by  the 
hand  of  time.  The  sight  was  glorious.  Involuntary  ex- 
clamations escaped  from  all.  It  infused  new  life  and 
vigor  into  us  ;  and  each  man  straightway  became  a  Her- 
cules. Now  or  never,  thought  we,  and  so  seized  the 
boats  and  sleds,  rushing  them  upon  a  tongue  of  the  ice- 
foot which  our  main  floe  grazed  in  passing.  At  last ! 
The  ice-foot  rested  on  the  beach,  and  now  many  of  our 
company  set  foot  on  terra  firma  the  first  time  in  two 
years.  A  sorry  looking  set  we  were,  too,  gathering  to- 
gether our  weather-beaten  traps ;  sunburned,  lean,  rag- 
ged, and  hungry.  We  had  appeared  quite  bad  enough 
while  on  the  ice  ;  but  now,  after  our  late  terrific  toils, 
camping  under  these  great  mountains,  the  tents  looked 
not  unlike  ant-hills  ;  while  we,  a  group  of  vagabond  in- 
sects, tugged  away  at  a  heap  of  rags,  bags,  and  old  bat- 
tered boats  as  spoils.  Supper  over,  we  formed  a  proces- 
sion, and  with  colors  flying  marched  to  the  island,  which 
Captain  De  Long  took  possession  of  in  the  name  of  God 
and  the  United  States,  naming  it  Bennett  Island  ;  and 
Lieutenant  Chipp  was  directed  to  give  the  crew  as  much 
liberty  as  was  possible  on  American  soil.  Very  little, 
indeed,  this  was,  and  Jack  growled  at  the  "  dry  christen- 
ing ;"  and  even  though  he  was  just  come  on  shore,  with 
two  years'  pay,  how  could  he  spend  it  ? 


44  IN   THE  LENA    DELTA. 

Camped  under  the  frowning  cliffs  of  the  island,  on  a 
little  strip  of  ice  that  swayed  uneasily  with  the  action  of 
the  tide,  we  watched  the  majestic  procession  of  floe-pieces 
rolling  and  grinding  by.  On  came  the  endless  column, 
crowding  and  crushing,  with  rare  and  beautiful  gaps  be- 
tween, revealing  the  deep  blue  of  the  sea,  and  we  who 
had  lived  amid  the  wonders  of  the  ice-world  for  two  long 
years  now  stood  with  mouths  agape  and  marveled  as  the 
grand  parade  of  stately  bergs  sailed  past ;  and  when  night 
had  closed  in  around  us  we  at  last  lay  wearily  down  to 
rest. 

There  was  a  narrow  channel  of  water  about  twenty 
yards  wide  between  our  ice-foot  and  the  island,  which  we 
had  crossed  by  means  of  certain  stepping  stones,  by  wad- 
ing, and  by  floating  ourselves  over  on  an  ice-cake  or  raft ; 
and  we  scarcety  had  time  to  crawl  into  our  sleeping-bags 
when  the  ground  on  which  the  ice-foot  rested  rocked  and 
trembled  with  a  noise  like  the  roar  of  distant  thunder, 
or  the  bursting  of  some  huge  berg.  The  next  instant 
we  were  out  in  full  view  of  a  sight  that  it  is  permitted 
but  few  mortals  to  witness  and  live.  A  land-slide  had 
started  down  the  rocky  declivity,  and  was  now  making 
its  awful  way  toward  us  with  irresistible  speed.  The 
spectacle  was  grand  and  terrific,  but  had  the  ice-foot  ex- 
tended to  the  shore  without  the  intervention  of  the  chan- 
nel, we  would  either  have  been  buried  by  the  rushing 
mass  or  swept  into  the  sea. 

Our  stay  at  Bennett  Island  was  detei'mined  by  the 
time  required  to  repair  the  boats,  allowing  us  a  brief 
respite  from  our  distressing  labors.  Two  parties  made 
extended  explorations  around  the  coast :  the  one  under 
Lieutenant  Chipp,  in  the  second  cutter,  sailing  along  the 
southern  face;  while  Mr.  Dunbar  with  Alexia  and  the 
dog-teams  sledded  around  the  northern  face,  from  the 
point  called  Cape  Emma.  Neither  party  discovered  any- 
thing of  importance,  and,  having  each  built  and  left  a 


TAKING     POSSESSION    OF    BENNETT    ISLAND. 


RETREATING   OVER    THE  PACK.  45 

record  in  a  cairn,  returned  to  camp  laden  with  firewood, 
which  they  had  found  in  considerable  quantities  on  cer- 
tain portions  of  the  beach.  With  this  we  cooked  savory- 
stews  of  loon,  gorney,  gull,  murre,  and  other  sea-fowl, 
which  had  been  killed  in  such  numbers  for  a  day  or  two 
as  to  do  away  for  the  time  being  with  our  issue  of  pem- 
mican. 

The  men  brought  into  camp  all  the  peculiar  or  inter- 
esting articles  that  they  found  in  their  rambles.  Among 
these  were  a  bleached  and  decayed  reindeer  horn,  chanced 
upon  on  the  highlands,  and  a  part  of  a  head  and  horn  re- 
sembling that  of  the  musk-ox,  but  so  very  much  time- 
worn  that  none  of  us  could  classify  it  otherwise  than 
as  a  fossil,  along  with  the  shells  which  were  seen  in  abun- 
dance. A  seam  of  bituminous  coal  was  discovered  on 
the  face  of  the  cliff  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea.  It  varied  in  thickness  from 
six  to  twenty-four  inches,  and  ran  along  in  a  horizontal 
plane  for  a  distance  of  a  mile  or  more.  Samples  of  it 
were  brought  into  camp  and  a  fire  started.  It  was  soft 
and  friable  from  long  exposure,  giving  out  consider- 
able smoke,  but  it  burned  to  a  white  ash,  leaving  little 
"clinker"  or  stone,  and  the  refuse  was  nearly  one  half 
in  weight  of  the  original  coal. 

Our  explorations  and  observations  finished,  it  now  be- 
came necessary  to  change  the  order  of  things,  since  we 
were  about  to  take  to  our  boats.  These  were  duly  re- 
paired, and  the  loads  lightened  by  casting  away  a  lot  of 
worthless  clothing  and  other  small  gear.  Then  it  was 
impossible  to  carry  all  our  dogs  with  us,  even  if  we  could 
longer  feed  them,  for  each  one  ate  nearly  a  pound  of 
pemmican  per  day.  So  we  retained  the  best  seven  as  a 
light  team  for  sledding,  and  the  rest  were  taken  behind 
a  hummock,  shot,  and  their  bodies  thrown  into  the  sea. 

The  six  tents  and  their  occupants  were  doubled  up  in 
the  three  boats  as  follows :    First  cutter,  Captain  De  Long 


46  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

with  part  of  the  crews  of  tents  four  and  five  ;  Second 
cutter,  Lieutenant  Chipp  with  the  crews  of  tent  two  and 
part  of  number  five ;  Whale-boat,  myself  with  the  re- 
mainder of  the  crews  of  tents  three,  four,  and  five.  There 
was  open  water  for  a  mile  or  so  between  the  island  and 
the  nearest  floe,  and  into  this  we  at  last  pushed  off  in 
our  deeply  laden  boats,  — it  requiring  two  trips  to  trans- 
port all  the  provisions,  sleds,  camp  equipage,  dogs,  and 
men. 

We  stepped  our  masts  to  sail  or  help  the  oars  as  much 
as  possible,  and  placed  the  sleds  across  the  boats  forward 
or  abaft  the  masts,  at  times  towing  them  and  the  spare 
oars.  When  a  floe  was  to  be  crossed  the  boats  were  run 
in  alongside  of  the  ice,  eased  of  their  freight,  hauled  over 
on  the  sleds,  launched,  reladen,  and  we  reembarked  and 
were  off  again  as  merrily  as  though  on  a  summer  sea. 
In  this  way  our  first  day's  progress  was  very  encourag- 
ing, and  except  some  little  but  disagreeable  sledding 
we  found,  as  we  had  anticipated,  our  new  manner  of  pro- 
gression a  delightful  improvement  over  the  old  one,  as 
well  in  the  matter  of  labor  expended  as  in  distance  ac- 
complished. 

Before  leaving  the  island  (August  6th),  winter  had 
really  set  in.  When  we  landed,  the  water  was  rushing 
in  torrents  from  the  glacier,  ice-cap,  and  snowy  peaks, 
and  its  noise  could  be  heard  in  the  silence  of  the  night 
for  miles.  But  during  our  short  sojourn  there,  how 
marked  the  changes.  At  first,  we  could  fill  our  tea-kettles 
at  any  of  a  hundred  purling  streams  which  ran  down  the 
mountain  side  ;  then  it  rained  ;  but,  before  we  left,  the 
streams  were  dried  up,  young  ice  was  making,  and  the 
bright  red  or  green  spots  which  had  looked  so  cheerful 
to  our  eyes  were  fast  being  clad  in  their  winter  garb. 
A  day  or  two  of  travel,  and  our  beautiful  island,  only 
seen  at  intervals  between  the  snow- squalls,  was,  like 
everything  else  around  us,  shrouded  in  white.     And  the 


RETREATING   OVER    THE  PACK.  47 

last  we  saw  of  it  was  a  mere  shadowy  contour,  curved 
like  a  whale's  back,  and  lifted  into  the  heavens  as  though 
to  mingle  its  snowy  purity  with  the  silver  glory  of  the 
clouds. 

Before  the  young  ice  began  to  make  and  so  unite  the 
hummocks  and  bits  together,  it  was  an  easy  matter  to 
put  a  floe  of  an  acre  or  more  in  motion,  but  now  this 
was  fit  work  for  a  Titan  ;  and,  if  the  freezing  and  coher- 
ing process  went  on  much  longer,  it  looked  very  much 
as  though  we  should  have  to  halt  and  wait  until  the  ice 
became  strong  enough  to  bear  us.  But  fortunately  the 
winds  kept  the  ice  in  constant  motion,  and  so  preserved 
comparatively  open  water.  Sitting  in  our  cramped  quar- 
ters in  the  boats  we  now  became  very  tired,  cold,  and 
wet,  with  little  or  no  covering  for  our  hands  and  feet, 
having  rejected,  in  view  of  our  long  journey  across  the 
ice,  all  but  absolutely  necessary  clothing,  which  was  now 
worn  into  rags  ;  and  to  add  to  the  discomfort  of  those  of 
us  in  the  first  cutter  and  whale-boat,  which  were  leaking 
badly,  we  were  compelled  to  bail  continually.  The  sec- 
ond cutter  was  tight,  because  being  light  and  short  she 
had  rested  easily  on  her  sled  without  rocking. 

So  long  as  the  wind  which  put  the  ice  in  motion  made 
open  water  for  us,  our  progress  to  the  south  was  rapid, 
but  not  so  when  it  crowded  the  pack  together  and  made 
it  appear  as  though  we  would  never  get  out  of  the  wil- 
derness. At  length,  after  a  good  day's  run  with  a  fresh- 
ening breeze,  we  were  finally  forced  by  the  gale,  and  the 
crowding  of  the  ice,  and  the  approaching  darkness,  to 
haul  out  on  a  floe-piece. 

Pitching  our  tents  near  the  edge,  we  ate  supper  and 
crawled,  wretchedly  wet  and  cold,  into  our  sleeping-bags ; 
but  about  midnight  we  were  all  summoned  to  shift  the 
boats  and  tents,  as  our  floe  was  breaking  up  ;  and  it  was 
no  less  amusing  than  painful  to  see  each  other  in  various 
states  of  deshabille,  —  some  barefooted,  many  barelegged, 


48  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

darting  about  in  a  howling  snow-storm,  securing  our 
traps  and  carrying  them  to  places  of  safety.  We  were 
up  with  dawn,  and  breaking  our  fast  were  at  it  again  ; 
and  after  a  fairly  good  day's  work  brought  up  against  an 
old  rotten  pack,  full  of  holes  and  water  spaces,  around 
or  across  which  it  seemed  impossible  for  us  to  make  our 
way  ;  so  we  hauled  out  on  it,  the  snow  starting  to  fall 
again,  and  the  water  to  freeze.  Pitching  our  tents  we 
waited  that  day  while  the  storm  blew  around  us. 

Having  vainly  wished  and  watched  for  a  shift  of  the 
ice,  we  set  out  on  the  second  morning  across  the  skeleton 
pack,  which  was  joined  together  by  young  ice  half  an 
inch  or  so  in  thickness.  There  was  no  picking  a  road ; 
so  we  made  a  straight  line  for  the  nearest  oj)en  water, 
across  pools,  ponds,  holes,  fissures,  and  hummocks,  sink- 
ing to  all  depths  from  our  knees  to  our  necks. 

Taking  every  lead  that  opened  to  the  southward,  or 
had  most  southing  in  it,  we  worked  our  serpentine  way 
in  the  direction  of  the  New  Siberian  Islands,  the  sea  ex- 
panding, or,  rather,  the  leads  becoming  larger  and  more 
frequent  as  we  progressed.  The  next  morning,  after 
breakfast,  the  order  was  issued  to  heap  snow  in  all  the 
boats  for  water  purposes,  —  De  Long  desiring  that  we 
should  make  our  tea  on  board,  and  not  haul  out  for  din- 
ner as  had  been  our  custom.  So  away  we  sailed  with  a 
fine  following  breeze  and  plenty  of  open  water,  —  too 
much,  indeed,  at  times,  for  our  heavily  laden  boats.  When 
word  was  passed  to  make  tea  and  serve  dinner,  De  Long 
was  booming  along  in  the  lead,  the  whale-boat  next,  and 
Chipp  in  our  wake.  The  ice  was  all  in  motion,  and, 
where  the  lanes  widened  into  great  bays,  covered  with 
the  first  white  caps  we  had  seen  for  many  months,  our 
boats  danced,  capered,  and  scampered  like  circus  horses. 
We  were  now  dodging  in  and  out  the  floe  openings  as 
best  we  might,  acting  quickly  with  tiller  and  sail  to  avoid 
coming  in  contact  with  the  sharp  edges  of  the  ice.     Now 


RETREATING   OVER    THE  PACK.  49 

and  then,  when  the  boats  were  in  line  and  not  more  than 
a  hundred  yards  apart,  the  first  cutter  would  shoot  through 
a  passage,  followed  by  the  whale-boat ;  but,  before  the 
second  cutter  could  come  up,  the  ice  would  perhaps  shift 
and  shut  her  out. 

Finally,  when  we  opened  out  into  a  bay  where  the 
slowly  increasing  breeze  from  the  north  was  raising  con- 
siderable sea,  our  boats,  weighted  deeply  and  their  sail- 
ing as  well  as  safety  rendered  almost  impossible  by  the 
heavy  oak  sleds,  began  shipping  water ;  and  it  became 
apparent  to  all  that  if  the  sea  continued  we  must  of  a 
necessity  lighten  our  boats.  The  ice,  too,  was  crowding 
in  upon  us  again,  and  we  were  working  to  the  south  and 
west  in  a  narrow  lane  of  water;  all  three  boats  being 
hauled  on  the  wind  to  try  and  weather  a  point  of  ice,  at 
the  same  time  keeping  clear  of  the  edge  of  the  pack 
under  our  lee,  over  which  the  sea  was  breaking  fearfully. 

When  De  Long  and  I  hauled  out,  Chipp  had  dropped 
behind  again,  although  all  three  boats  were  carrying  every 
inch  of  sail  they  could  stagger  under ;  and  when  he  event- 
ually rounded  to,  Chipp,  for  the  first  time,  complained 
about  his  boat.  Until  then  she  had  been  the  favorite, 
and  even  yet,  indeed,  was  considered  sound  and  efficient, 
only  she  was  overloaded  by  the  heavy  sled,  which  article 
of  freight,  indeed,  came  nigh  to  burying  every  boat. 

In  the  face  of  the  day's  experience  it  was  quite  evi- 
dent that  if  such  weather  continued,  we  could  not  carry 
the  sleds  with  us  across  the  open  water  between  the  isl- 
ands and  the  coast  of  Siberia.  So  De  Long  very  wisely 
directed  us  to  cut  them  up  into  fire-wood,  and  when  we 
started,  as  we  expected  to  in  the  morning,  to  stow  the 
pieces  in  the  boats.  But  when  day  broke  we  found  our- 
selves shut  solidly  in  with  not  a  speck  of  water  anywhere 
visible,  the  whole  of  the  northern  pack  having  been 
driven  down  by  the  gale  full  upon  the  islands,  which  were 
now  in  plain  sight.  Although  it  was  cold  enough,  the 
1 


50  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

constant  motion  of  the  ice  prevented  the  floes  from  ce- 
menting ;  so  we  could  do  naught  but  await  a  favorable 
change  in  the  aspect  of  affairs,  and  this  we  proceeded  to 
do,  having  accustomed  ourselves  to  make  the  best  of 
every  misfortune.  Nevertheless,  we  had  then  no  idea 
that  we  would  be  kept  prisoners  for  ten  days  ;  albeit,  if 
we  had,  there  was  nothing  we  could  have  done  to  liber- 
ate ourselves. 

In  truth,  our  situation  now  looked  worse  than  ever ; 
the  provisions  were  rapidly  disappearing ;  winter  advanc- 
ing ;  and  the  islands  ahead  of  us  were  uninhabited  ;  so 
De  Long  sent  for  and  consulted  with  Chipp  and  myself. 
Talking  the  matter  over,  we  agreed  upon  the  impossi- 
bility of  transporting  the  boats  to  land,  at  least  with 
their  bottoms  in.  We  then  discussed  the  course  we 
should  pursue  in  the  event  of  our  drifting  through  the 
channel  between  the  islands  of  New  Siberia  and  Thad- 
eouiski ;  unanimously  deciding  that  we  proceed  from 
point  to  point  along  the  south  side  of  the  islands  until 
we  reached  the  southwest  point  of  the  island  Kotolnoi ; 
thence  to  Stolboi,  to  Wasilli,  to  Simonoski,  and  finally 
to  Cape  Barkin,  at  the  Lena  Delta,  where  we  felt  as- 
sured we  would  find  the  native  huts  as  marked  upon  our 
charts. 

Our  existence  had  now  become  a  mere  question  of  pro- 
visions. Had  there  been  a  depot  of  eight  or  ten  thou- 
sand pounds  of  pemmican  on  the  New  Siberian  Islands 
we  could  have  wintered  there  with  comfort;  and  when 
I  read  all  the  plans  for  our  succor  suggested,  while  we 
were  absent,  by  people  who  assumed  to  know  that  we 
were  coming  out  by  the  way  we  did,  I  cannot  help  won- 
dering why  it  was  that  some  one  did  not  propose  such  a 
depot  with  a  guard  to  watch  it.  Yet,  as  in  other  things, 
our  aftersight  informed  us  of  much  that  our  foresight 
had  overlooked. 

About  noon  of  our  tenth  day  in  camp  the  ice  seemed 


RETREATING   OVER    THE  PACK.  51 

looser  than  usual,  and  we  found  ourselves  closer  to  land. 
So  we  hauled  the  boats  a  short  distance,  and  launched 
them  in  a  swirling  mass  not  unlike  the  rapids  to  some 
great  cataract.  Moving  rapidly  in  all  directions,  now 
closing  and  now  opening,  the  ice,  at  times,  would  form  a 
solid  barrier  in  front  of  us  ;  and,  while  we  considered 
whether  to  journey  east  or  west,  the  wall  would  sud- 
denly part  and  open  a  passage-way,  shutting  perhaps  as 
soon  as  we  had  fairly  entered.  And  in  this  bewildering 
manner  we  continued  on  our  course  until  night  closed 
in  around  us,  when  we  were  obliged  to  haul  out  again 
and  camp,  after  a  hard,  though  good,  day's  work.  Next 
morning  we  were  up  bright  and  early.  Launching  our 
boats,  we  caught  a  brief  view  of  the  land,  when  the  sun 
shone  through  the  fog  bank,  and  concluded  that  we  were 
now  well  clown  between  the  islands  of  New  Siberia  and 
Thadeouiski.  The  ice  was  running  through  this  opening 
to  the  southward  like  water  in  a  mill-race,  and  the  fog 
gathered  densely  about  us ;  but  on  we  ran  in  mid-chan- 
nel, now  and  then  catching  glimpses  of  the  eastern  head- 
lands of  Thadeouiski.  Ere  night  we  had  come  out  at  the 
southward  of  the  islands,  and  before  us,  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach,  rolled  the  blue  free  sea,  although  the  ice- 
blink showed  away  to  the  south.  Following  the  coast 
to  the  westward,  we  at  length,  after  great  difficulty,  ef- 
fected a  landing,  and  for  the  first  time  in  two  years  and 
a  half  enjoyed  a  good  sleep  on  terra  firma,  realizing  Dr. 
Ambler's  oft-repeated  wish  that  he  might  once  again 
"  renew  the  electrical  conditions  between  his  body  and 
the  earth,"  or,  as  Dunbar  briefly  expressed  it,  might 
"  sand  his  hoofs  ;  "  and  this  we  all  did  upon  the  mossy 
tundra  on  the  high  ground  of  Thadeouiski. 

During  the  evening  we  all,  officers  and  crew,  scattered 
over  the  island  in  quest  of  game  or  any  objects  of  inter- 
est relative  to  our  position  as  a  shipwrecked  party.  We 
found  several  decayed  and  tumble-down  huts  of  the  ivory 


52  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

hunters,  and  one  of  the  sailors  said  he  saw  moccasin 
marks  in  the  muddy  beach  of  a  river,  but  this  was  before 
he  learned  to  what  an  extent  the  imprint  of  a  reindeer 
hoof  in  the  mire  will  spread  when  washed  by  a  receding 
river.  A  few  black  ducks,  caught  late  in  the  season  with 
broods  to  raise,  still  remained  paddling  shyly  about  in  the 
open  water.  Snow  was  settling  on  the  hills,  and  young 
ice  was  making  along  the  shore  and  in  the  ditches.  The 
reindeer  had  taken  to  the  valleys  among  the  distant  hills, 
there  to  remain  until  the  return  of  spring-time  and  sun- 
shine, for  in  a  very  few  days  the  silence  of  an  Arctic 
winter  would  rest  upon  the  island. 

Keeping  a  bright  lookout  we  pushed  along  the  coast  as 
rapidly  as  the  shoal  water  would  permit,  now  and  then 
grounding.  Long  windrows  of  driftwood  were  thrown 
up  on  the  beach  and  crowded  far  back  from  the  water- 
mark by  the  ice.  At  the  time  of  our  sojourn  along  the 
coast  the  interior  of  the  island  looked  high  and  moun- 
tainous. Hills  and  valleys  were  covered  with  snow  and 
ice,  and  the  rivers  had  all  dried  up,  the  sun  having  ceased 
to  give  sufficient  heat,  even  at  middays  to  melt  the  snow. 
The  low,  irregular  coast-line  resembled  a  series  of  huge, 
peaked  or  cone-shaped  furnaces,  which,  however,  upon 
closer  inspection  looked  not  unlike  villages  of  conoidal 
tents  or  huts  ;  but  the  earthy  portion  of  these  islands,  we 
soon  learned  from  examination,  is  rapidly  being  washed 
away  into  the  sea.  In  early  summer  the  turbulent 
streams  coursing  down  into  the  valleys  cut  great  ravines 
in  the  mountain  sides,  and,  later  on,  the  snow  melting 
along  the  ridges  of  the  hills  eats  out  transverse  and 
smaller  ravines  ;  and  so  through  ages  the  general  erosion 
has  proceeded  until  nearly  all  the  soil  has  been  washed 
into  the  Arctic  Ocean.  And  now  that  there  is  not  suf- 
ficient surface  on  the  peaks  of  the  cones  for  the  snow  to 
lodge  and  run  off  in  little  rivulets,  the  erosion  goes  on 
through  the  slower  process  of  freezing  and  melting,  thus 


RETREATING   OVER    THE  PACK.  53 

expanding  and  contracting  the  masses  ;  and  evidences  of 
the  gradual  leveling  are  plainly  to  be  seen  in  the  rounded 
earth  mounds  of  all  sizes  at  the  base  of  the  cones. 

Although  greatly  retarded  by  the  shoals,  we  made  a 
good  two  days'  run  in  our  boats  past  the  islands,  hoping 
the  third  day  to  be  able  to  camp  on  the  eastern  end  of 
Kotolnoi.  But  the  wind  headed  us  off  and  a  shoal  stood 
in  our  way.  We  had  tried  hard  all  day  to  round  the 
shoal,  which  we  found  making  twenty  or  twenty-five  miles 
to  the  southward  of  its  charted  position  ;  the  wind  was 
increasing,  rendering  the  navigation  of  the  boats  a  cold 
and  wet  task  ;  darkness  was  approaching,  and  so  to  avoid 
a  night  in  the  boats  we  ran  in  under  the  shoal.  Con- 
siderable sea  was  now  rolling  in,  and  it  would  be  decid- 
edly unsafe  to  attempt  the  hauling  of  the  boats  ashore, 
since  it  would  be  impossible  to  launch  them  through  the 
surf  should  it  blow  a  gale  for  any  length  of  time.  After 
several  ineffectual  efforts  to  land  without  running  back 
to  the  point  whence  we  had  started  in  the  morning,  it 
finally  became  apparent  that  we  must  pass  the  night  in 
our  boats.     And  a  memorable  night  it  was. 

The  southerly  wind  drove  the  ice  in  upon  us,  and  at 
the  same  time  forced  us  toward  the  shoal,  over  which  the 
sea  was  breaking  with  great  fury.  We  were  without  an- 
chors, and  so  with  reefed  sails  we  did  our  utmost  to  obey 
the  order  to  keep  together.  The  night  was  dark  as  pitch, 
and  our  only  guides  were  the  roar  of  the  surf  under  our 
lee,  and  the  glare  of  the  ice  on  the  other  side  when  the 
sea  surged  over  it.  About  midnight  we  had  driven  peril- 
ously far  in  towards  the  beach,  and  the  order  was  passed 
to  anchor  the  boats  as  best  we  could ;  but  to  no  purpose, 
—  the  sea  was  too  strong,  and  we  would  have  been  forced 
into  the  breakers  and  doubtless  drowned,  had  we  not 
succeeded  in  getting  under  way  in  time,  and  standing  back 
to  the  northeast  on  our  track  of  the  day  before. 

Considering  the  violence  of  the  wind  and  sea  during 


54  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

the  night,  our  anxiety  was  great  when  we  found  the 
second  cutter  nowhere  visible.  Running  alongside  of  a 
grounded  hummocky  "bit,"  we  pitched  our  tents  and 
stretched  our  legs,  and  while  we  yet  breakfasted  the 
second  cutter  hove  in  sight.  Chipp  reported  a  bad  night 
of  it,  and  his  Crew  looked  much  more  worn  and  battered 
than  the  rest ;  but  we  had  no  time  to  spare  in  sympathy, 
for  the  tide  began  to  rise,  and  the  waves  breaking  over 
our  hummocks  soon  washed  us  out;  so  tumbling  our 
effects  into  the  boats,  we  made  off  again  before  a  moder- 
ately increasing  breeze  and  rounded  the  sand-spit  off  the 
east  end  of  Kotolnoi.  As  the  wind  blew  stronger,  the 
sea  ran  high,  and  in  a  little  while  it  was  all  we  could  do 
to  stagger  along  under  single-reefed  sails,  keeping  ahead 
of  the  waves,  which  washed  over  us  constantly.  It  was 
wonderful  how  we  avoided  cutting  or  staving  our  boat  to 
pieces  on  the  sharp -edged  bits  ;  but  fortunately  while 
we  thus  ran  briskly  the  ice  was  much  broken,  and  there 
were  no  floe-pieces  calling  upon  us  for  halts  and  hauls. 
Within  several  hours  the  second  cutter  was  again  out  of 
sight,  and  De  Long  concluded  to  continue  running  until 
we  could  find  a  large  solid  floe-piece,  and  there  await 
Chipp,  who  must  needs  take  care  of  himself.  We  had 
scarcely  secured  our  boats  in  a  shallow  cove  washed  out 
in  the  ice,  where  they  lay  like  ships  in  a  dock,  when  the 
water  suddenly  disappeared  as  if  by  magic,  and  we  found, 
ourselves  in  the  midst  of  a  wild  mass  of  broken  ice,  ap- 
parently as  hopeless  of  navigation  as  the  pack  which 
balked  us  and  brought  about  our  unfortunate  "  Ten  day 
Camp." 

Pitching  our  tents  as  night  came  on,  we  supped  and 
crawled  into  our  sleeping-bags,  well  worn  out  and  most 
thankful  for  rest.  Next  morning  the  gale  yet  blew  with 
vigor,  showering  snow.  Still  no  sign  of  Chipp.  We 
hoisted  a  black  flag  at  the  mast-head  of  the  first  cutter, 
and  hoped  it  might  bring  him  to  us.     Toward  evening, 


RETREATING   OVER    THE  PACK.  55 

while  Injguin  was  watching  on  a  high  hummock,  the  sec- 
ond cutter  was  at  last  seen  skimming  briskly  along  in  the 
open  water.  She  sighted  our  signal,  and  drew  up  within 
a  mile  of  us,  and  soon  we  observed  Chipp  and  Kiihne 
making  their  way  across  the  ice  in  our  direction.  It  is 
needless  to  say  how  rejoiced  we  were  to  see  them ;  but 
after  supper  they  visited  around  in  the  four  tents  and  re- 
counted to  us  their  experiences. 

The  morning  smiled  on  us,  and  the  sea  tried  to  show  its 
blue  face  through  the  dense  fog  that  had  closed  in  and 
shut  the  land  from  our  sight.  Soon  we  were  all  well 
under  way,  and  Chipp,  scudding  along  the  canal  for  a 
mile  or  two,  finally  came  to  a  halt,  the  ice  ahead  having 
packed  into  an  impenetrable  mass.  As  we  ran  on  we  had 
observed  another  canal  inside  of  the  one  we  were  navi- 
gating, and  likewise  a  passage  connecting  the  two ;  so 
now  we  turned  back  to  it  with  De  Long  in  the  lead,  and 
sailed  merrilv  along  until  dusk,  when  we  again  found  our- 
selves  in  a  cul  de  sac,  the  land  showing  fair  and  bright 
to  the  northward  of  us,  and  the  mountains  raising  their 
snowy  peaks  far  inland.  We  all  three  rounded  the  point 
together  and  hauled  out  on  the  inside  of  a  long  sand-spit 
making  eastward  from  Kotolnoi  toward  Thadeouiski. 

We  were  now  camped  on  the  eastern  end  of  Kotolnoi. 
Driftwood  was  abundant,  so  we  gathered  great  heaps  of 
it  and  built  a  rousing  fire,  before  which  we  warmed  our 
fronts,  froze  our  backs,  and  burned  or  shriveled  up  con- 
siderable of  our  saturated  garments,  in  our  anxious  en- 
deavors to  profit  by  the  first  really  good  camp-fire  we 
had  enjoyed  since  leaving  the  United  States.  A  night 
of  grateful  release  from  our  prolonged  fatigue,  and  the 
next  day  opened  gloriously.  With  a  view  to  further 
rest  and  the  stretching  of  our  cramped  limbs,  but  more 
especially  to  a  good  reindeer  stew,  we  remained  on  the 
island  ;  those  who  chose  going  on  the  hunt,  with  their 
bodies  full  of  vigor  and  pockets  full  of  cartridges.     To- 


56  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

ward  evening  they  straggled  back;  some  had  gone  in- 
credible distances,  all  had  found  plenty  of  tracks,  but 
none  had  seen  a  live  deer. 

Next  morning  we  were  out  bright  and  early,  launching 
the  boats  in  high  glee  at  the  expectation  of  making  a 
good  day's  journey  along  the  inshore  water.  Rounding 
the  point  of  the  sand-spit,  we  stood  to  the  westward, 
many  of  the  men  walking  on  the  beach  for  exercise. 
This  beach  was  strewn  with  various  kinds  of  driftwood. 
Some  of  the  lumber  showed  marks  of  the  friendly  axe, 
and  how  eloquently  such  silent  signs  of  civilization  spoke 
to  our  hearts,  recalling  distant  scenes  and  friends.  Din- 
ner over,  we  were  forced  to  make  a  portage  of  about  half 
a  mile,  hauling  the  boats  on  their  keel  runners  along  a 
little  ridge  of  snow  above  the  high  water-mark.  They 
were  soon  launched  again,  and  away  we  gayly  went,  a 
number  of  the  men  continuing  to  run  along  the  beach 
for  exercise,  keeping  pace  with  the  boats,  which  picked 
them  up  when  their  progress  was  checked  by  the  creeks 
making  out  from  the  land.  Advancing  thus,  we  at 
length,  toward  night,  hauled  out  and  camped  on  the  high 
ground  a  short  distance  back  from  the  beach.  During 
the  afternoon  we  had  left  the  low  sand  and  mud  shore, 
and  had  arrived  at  a  long  line  of  perpendicular  cliffs  of 
shale  and  slate;  from  which  we  inferred  that  we  were 
now  on  the  southwestern  coast  of  Kotolnoi  Island,  whence^ 
we  might  start  at  once  across  the  open  ocean  for  the 
Lena  Delta,  via  the  island  of  Stolboi.  Accordingly  we 
made  a  close  stow  of  our  goods,  filling  all  the  spare  ves- 
sels with  snow  for  a  water  supply,  and  on  the  morning 
of  September  7th  set  sail  before  a  fresh  breeze  from  the 
east  northeast.  Standing  to  the  southward,  we  shortly 
came  up  with  a  large  floe  alive  with  small  running  hum- 
mocks and  stream  ice.  It  was  blowing  stiffly,  the  sea 
was  lumpy,  and  our  boats  careering  at  a  lively  rate. 
Pumping  and  bailing  to  keep  afloat,  we  suddenly  came 


RETREATING   OVER   THE  PACK.  57 

unawares  upon  the  weather  side  of  a  great  floe-piece, 
over  which  the  sea  was  breaking  so  terribly  that  for  us 
to  come  in  contact  with  it  meant  certain  destruction.  It 
was  floating  from  four  to  six  feet  above  water,  its  sides 
either  perpendicular  or  undershot  by  tbe  action  of  the 
waves,  which  dashed  madly  over  it,  the  surf  flying  in 
the  air  to  a  height  of  twenty  feet;  and,  where  the  sea 
had  honeycombed  it  and  eaten  holes  upward  through  its 
thickness,  a  thousand  waterspouts  cast  forth  spray  like  a 
school  of  whales.  Round  about,  down  sail,  and  away  we 
pulled  for  our  lives.  De  Long  being  fifty  or  a  hundred 
yards  in  advance  of  me,  and  so  much  nearer  danger, 
hailed  me  to  take  him  in  tow,  which  I  did,  and  together 
we  barely  managed  to  hold  our  precarious  position.  The 
second  cutter  was  away  behind  again,  but  upon  coming 
up  seized  the  whale-boat's  painter ;  and  so  we  struggled 
in  line,  and  at  last  succeeded  in  clearing  the  weather 
edge  of  the  floe.  It  was  a  long  pull  and  a  hard  pull. 
The  sea  roared  and  thundered  against  the  cold  bleak 
mass  of  ice,  flying  away  from  it  like  snow-flakes  and 
freezing  as  it  flew ;  the  sailors,  blinded  by  the  wind  and 
spray,  pulled  manfully  at  the  oars,  their  bare  hands 
frozen  and  bleeding;  and  the  boats  tossed  capriciously 
about  with  the  wild  waves  and  the  unequal  strain  of  the 
tow-line.  Drenched  to  the  skin  by  the  cruel  icy  seas 
which  poured  in  and  nigh  filled  the  boats,  the  over-taxed 
men,  as  they  faced  the  dreadful,  death-dealing  sea  and 
murderous  ice-edge,  found  new  life  and  strength  and  per- 
formed wonders. 

This,  indeed,  proved  a  day  of  trial  and  tribulation  to 
us  ;  the  restless  condition  of  the  ice  requiring  nice  nav- 
igation, and  the  low  state  of  our  provisions  calling  for 
prompt  movement  and  the  avoidance  of  disastrous  delays. 

While  we  were  under  the  influence  of  the  land  the 
wind  had  been  even  and  steady  from  the  south  and  east, 
but  as  night  closed  in  it  became  fitful,  blowing  in  heavy 


58  IN   THE  LENA    DELTA. 

squalls,  and  the  sea  ran  high.  Our  boats  were  well 
bunched  together,  and  although  it  was  now  pitch  dark 
we  could  yet  for  a  while  discern  each  other  looming  up 
out  of  the  black  water  like  spectres  and  plunging  over 
the  crests  of  waves.  Presently  the  second  cutter  faded 
away,  but  as  mine  was  the  fastest  boat  of  the  three  I 
experienced  no  difficulty  in  following  De  Long.  Indeed, 
in  my  anxiety  to  obey  the  order,  "  Keep  within  hail,"  1 
at  times  barely  escaped  running  the  first  cutter  down. 
Now  that  we  were  sailing  night  and  day  it  became  neces- 
sary to  relieve  the  helmsman.  Not  that  any  one  could 
sleep ;  but  then  a  rest  was  needful,  from  the  increasing 
vigilance  required  in  guiding  the  boat  clear  of  the  multi- 
form dangers  that  arose  constantly  before  us.  Yet  the 
least  error  of  the  helmsman,  when  his  ear  caught  the  roar 
of  the  sea  breaking  over  the  edge  of  a  floe  or  ragged 
pack,  and  the  waves  which  came  tumbling  after,  mountain 
high,  would  certainly  engulf  us.  Saving  a  few  minutes 
when  I  was  otherwise  engaged,  the  main  sheet  was  never 
controlled  by  any  one  but  myself ;  and  cold  work  it  was, 
too,  with  a  pair  of  mittens  on  my  hands  made  of  cotton 
sheeting  which  I  had  originally  used  as  coverings  for  my 
fur  mittens. 

Toward  midnight  we  approached  the  weather  edge  of 
the  pack,  the  roar  of  the  surf  reaching  our  ears  long 
before  we  could  see  the  ice.  I  involuntarily  hauled  the 
whale-boat  closer  on  the  wind,  and  by  so  doing  lost  sight 
of  the  first  cutter,  but  the  terrible  noise  and  confusion  of 
the  sea  warned  me  beyond  doubt  of  the  death  that  lay 
under  our  lee.  Presently  out  of  the  darkness  there  ap- 
peared the  horrid  white  wall  of  ice  and  foam.  Not  a 
second  too  soon.  "Ready  about,  and  out  with  the  two 
lee  oars  if  she  misses  stays."  This,  of  course,  from  the 
heavy  sea,  she  did ;  and  quick  as  thought  my  orders  were 
obeyed.  As  we  turned  slowly  round  a  wave  swept 
across  our  starboard  quarter  filling  the  boat  to  the  seats. 


RETREATING   OVER   THE  PACK.  59 

Ye  gods!  what  a  cold  bath!  And  now  we  were  in  the 
midst  of  small  streaming  ice,  broken  and  triturated  into 
posh  by  the  sea  and  grinding  floes,  and  this  was  hurled 
back  upon  us  by  the  reflex  water  and  eddying  current  in 
the  rear  of  the  pack,  which  was  rapidly  moving  before 
the  wind.  With  bailers,  buckets,  and  pumps  doing  their 
utmost,  the  two  lee  oars  brought  us  around  in  good  time, 
and  we  filled  away  on  the  other  tack,  the  waves  still 
leaping  playfully  in  as  though  to  keep  us  busy  and  spice 
our  misery  with  the  zest  of  danger.  Finally  we  ran  into 
a  field  of  streaming  ice,  which,  calming  the  fury  of  the 
sea,  afforded  us  some  shelter. 

When  day  broke  neither  of  our  companion  boats  was 
in  sight.  The  wind  had  moderated  greatly,  and  we  were 
now  in  quiet  water  among  the  loose  pack,  —  perhaps  the 
most  miserable  looking  collection  of  mortals  that  ever 
crowded  shivering  together  in  a  heap.  We  looked,  in- 
deed, so  utterly  forlorn  and  wretched  that  just  to  revive 
and  thaw,  as  it  were,  my  drowned  and  frozen  wits,  I 
burst  forth  into  frenzied  song.  Of  a  truth,  as  we  sat 
shaking  there,  our  situation  was  nigh  desperate ;  we  were 
down  to  an  allowance  of  a  pint  of  water  to  each  man  per 
day,  now  that  De  Long  was  separated  from  us;  but  upon 
the  suggestion  of  some  one  in  the  boat  I  set  up  the  fire- 
pot  and  made  hot  tea.  We  were  thus  breakfasting  when 
the  first  cutter  hove  in  view.  I  at  once  joined  company, 
and  shortly  after  the  second  cutter  made  her  appearance, 
and  we  were  again  together.  The  sea  soon  calmed,  les 
miserables  thawed  out,  the  morning  became  as  pleasant 
as  the  memorable  May  mornings  at  home,  and  we  again 
were  bright  and  alive  with  hope. 

Soon  the  sun  shone  brightly  and  warmed  us  into  jol- 
lity, and  when  we  halted  for  dinner  De  Long  secured  a 
sight  which  placed  our  position  to  the  westward  of  Stol- 
boi  Island,  now  plainly  visible. 

At  dusk,  having  accomplished  a  good  day's  journey, 


60  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

and  been  well  heated  by  the  sun,  we  pulled  out  on  a  floe- 
piece,  cleaned  the  boats,  wrung  our  clothing,  and  after 
the  evening  meal,  crept,  still  soaked,  into  our  sleeping- 
bags  under  cover  of  the  tents,  where  we  slept  the  sleep 
of  the  just.  The  next  morning  we  were  up  and  out, 
enjoying  the  early  sunshine  of  a  beautiful  day.  The 
ice  in  our  vicinity  was  not  heavy  now,  being  apparently 
of  but  one  year's  growth,  and  unbroken  by  collision  — 
ice  that  seemed  to  have  floated  about  in  a  dead  sea  de- 
void of  currents  or  islands,  which  to  the  northward  break 
and  mass  it  into  hummock  and  floe-berg.  We  toiled 
strenuously  all  day  at  oar,  tow-rope,  and  sail,  until  ten 
p.  M.,  when  the  water  began  shoaling  rapidly 'and  we 
heard  the  roar  of  the  surf;  so  mooring  our  boats  to  a 
grounded  floe-piece,  we  ate  our  supper  by  candle-light  in 
the  tents,  and  again,  well  satisfied  with  our  day's  journey, 
lay  down  to  rest. 

When  morning  dawned  it  revealed  to  us  the  mud  cliffs 
of  Simonoski,  not  more  than  five  hundred  yards  distant. 

Landing  for  dinner  we  found  the  tracks  of  deer,  and 
those  of  a  bear  or  a  wolf.  The  water  procured  here, 
although  fresh,  was  discolored  and  unpleasant  to  the 
taste,  savoring  of  the  bog  from  which  it  was  taken,  and 
being  filled  with  animalculse  and  red  grubs.  We  had 
proceeded  a  couple  of  miles  when  a  fine  deer,  attended 
by  her  fawn,  was  observed  running  along  the  edge  of* 
the  cliff  as  if  in  alarm.  Our  hunters  soon  killed  and 
dragged  the  carcass  of  the  doe  to  the  edge,  of  the  cliff 
and  dropped  it  upon  the  beach.  It  dressed  about  one 
hundred  and  twenty  pounds,  and  we  had  each  a  clear 
pound  of  sweet  venison,  washed  down  by  a  quart  of  tea, 
—  a  royal  gorge,  indeed.  And  when,  after  supper,  the 
hunters  having  fruitlessly  scoured  the  island  to  its  end 
for  a  sign  of  the  fawn,  we  at  last  turned  in,  the  wet 
sleeping-bags  troubled  us  but  little,  for  now,  the  first 
time  in  many  months,  we  enjoyed  the  delightful  and  al- 


RETREATING   OVER    THE  PACK.  61 

most  forgotten  sensation  of  being  replete  and  distended 
with  palatable  food,  a  delicious  frame  of  body  and  mind 
enhanced  by  the  pleasing  prospect  of  a  jolly  good  soup 
on  the  morrow. 

That  day  (Sunday)  we  passed  upon  the  island,  some 
of  the  men  employing  their  time  in  another  unsuccessful 
hunt  for  the  fawn,  while  I  set  busily  to  work  altering 
the  cover  of  the  whale-boat ;  and  a  record  was  deposited 
on  a  high  point  of  land. 

Since  Saturday,  the  10th  of  September,  the  weather 
had  been  dark  and  gloomy,  with  occasional  showers  of 
rain  and  some  snow.  We  were  all  wet  and  miserably 
cold,  the  moss  was  soaked,  and  our  camp-fires,  by  reason 
of  the  scarcity  of  wood,  afforded  us  little  comfort  beyond 
cooking  our  food.  The  wind  had  been  almost  constantly 
blowing  in  fitful  gusts,  approximating  to  a  gale  during 
Sunday  night,  and  on  Monday  morning  it  was  yet  fresh, 
while  the  sea  was  covered  with  white  caps.  Still,  though 
the  weather  looked  ominous,  there  was  no  certain  indica- 
tion of  a  coming  gale,  and  a  delay,  further  than  was  neces- 
sary for  the  rest  and  refreshment  that  we  had  already 
obtained,  would  be  extremely  dangerous,  since  a  day's  loss, 
now,  might  count  a  week  in  the  near  future. 

About  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  we  sailed  away, 
and  with  a  good  breeze  under  the  lee  of  the  island,  ran 
briskly  to  the  southward  in  the  direction  of  Wasilli. 
Passing  the  channel  between  the  two  islands,  our  boats 
careened  and  we  then  felt  the  full  force  of  the  wind. 
Wasilli  was  soon  in  the  distance,  and  just  before  noon 
we  hauled  in  alongside  of  the  floe  for  our  meal  of  tea  and 
pemmican,  —  and  it  was  the  last  dinner  we  ever  ate  to- 
gether. We  had  now  arrived  at  the  edge  of  the  ice,  with 
Cape  Barkin,  our  point  of  destination,  only  ninety  miles 
or  less  distant.  Dinner  over,  we  filled  all  our  vessels 
with  snow  for  drinking  water;  everyone  jolly  in  the  hope 
that   with   our   present  breeze,  should  it  not  grow  too 


62  IN   THE  LENA    DELTA. 

heavy,  we  might  be  able  to  reach  Cape  Barkin  and  the 
land  after  one  night  at  sea.  Chipp  and  I  conferred  to- 
gether a  long  time,  pacing  up  and  down  the  floe.  My 
boat  being  the  fastest  of  the  three,  I  anticipated  no 
trouble ;  and  Chipp,  though  his  boat  was  lighter  than 
before,  seemed  to  think  that  he  could  keep  abreast  if  the 
first  cutter  did  not  carry  full  sail. 

De  Long  verbally  directed  both  of  us  to  keep,  if  possi- 
ble, within  hail,  and  reiterated  his  orders  in  case  of  sepa- 
ration. 

"  Make  the  best  of  your  way,"  said  he,  "  to  Cape 
Barkin,  which  is  eighty  or  ninety  miles  off,  southwest 
true.  Don't  wait  for  me,  but  get  a  pilot  from  the  na- 
tives, and  proceed  up  the  river  to  a  place  of  safety  as 
quick  as  you  can  ;  and  be  sure  that  you  and  your  parties 
are  all  right  before  you  trouble  yourselves  about  any  one 
else.  If  you  reach  Cape  Barkin  you  will  be  safe,  for 
there  are  plenty  of  natives  there  winter  and  summer." 
Then  addressing  me  particularly,  he  continued  :  — 

"  Melville,  you  will  have  no  trouble  in  keeping  up  with 
me,  but  if  anything  should  happen  to  separate  us,  you 
can  find  your  way  in  without  any  difficulty  by  the  trend 
of  the  coast-line  ;  and  you  know  as  much  about  the  na- 
tives and  their  settlements  as  anyone  else."  This  was 
our  last  conversation  in  a  body. 

As  soon  as  we  had  embarked  De  Long  led  off  under 
full  sail,  laying  the  course  southwest.  We  sped  forward 
at  a  good  rate,  but  the  sea  had  risen  considerably,  and 
began  to  bother  us  when  we  had  cleared  the  ice.  Owing 
to  the  superior  speed  of  the  whale-boat,  I  encountered 
some  difficulty  in  preserving  my  position  astern  of  the 
first  cutter.  I  had  taken  in  one  reef,  and  for  that  reason 
Chipp  was  keeping  well  up  with  us.  But  the  sea  grew 
steadily  heavier,  the  boats  jumped  and  jarred  until  it 
seemed  they  would  lose  their  spars  or  mast-steps,  and  it 
soon  became  necessary  that  we  reef  our  sails.     My  boat, 


RETREATING   OVER    THE  PACK.  63 

and  I  think  De  Long's,  too,  was  closely  reefed  at  three 
o'clock.  The  first  cutter,  any  way  a  dull  sailor,  was 
loaded  very  deeply,  having  on  board,  in  addition  to  its 
share  of  weights  and  provisions  for  thirteen  men,  all  the 
records,  books,  papers,  specimens,  etc.,  etc.,  beside  a 
large  oak  sled  for  transportation  purposes. 

The  second  cutter  was  now  performing  very  badly  in 
the  heavy  sea,  and  at  times  kept  barely  in  sight.  The 
first  cutter,  an  excellent  sea  -  boat,  stood  up  splendidly 
to  her  work,  but  freighted  as  she  was,  even  her  weather 
cloths  could  not  prevent  the  waves  from  breaking  contin- 
ually over  her.  The  sea,  to  be  sui*e,  was  moving  much 
faster  than  the  boat;  so  it  combed  and  broke  across  her 
stern,  or,  running  nigh  her  whole  length,  would  dash 
against  the  weather  cloths  and  tumble  in,  soaking  the 
men  and  at  times  almost  swamping  the  boat.  Towards 
seven  o'clock  it  was  blowing  a  living  gale,  and  it  seemed 
impossible  that  we  could  struggle  longer  in  such  a  sea. 
The  danger  to  the  whale-boat  was  imminent,  since  in 
trying  to  slacken  speed  so  as  to  keep,  as  ordered,  in  the 
wake  of  the  first  cutter,  the  swifter  waves  forged  ahead 
and  breached  clear  over  the  stern,  threatening  to  over- 
whelm us.  Fine  manoeuvring  with  helm  and  sail  was 
out  of  the  question,  though  at  the  suggestion  of  some 
of  the  men  it  was  attempted  once  or  twice  with  al- 
most fatal  results ;  and  it  was  while  I  was  endeavoring 
to  deaden  our  speed  by  hauling  the  boat  closer  to  the 
wind  that  we  ran  far  past  the  first  cutter  and  well  up 
on  her  weather  bow.  It  now  looked  as  though  we  could 
not  possibly  regain  our  position  without  heaving  to; 
when  at  this  juncture  De  Long  signaled  me  to  approach, 
probably  within  hail.  Should  I  run  down  towards  him, 
I  would  certainly  shoot  far  ahead,  so  there  was  but  one 
thing  to  do,  namely,  to  lower  the  sail,  and  reduce  it  below 
a  close  reef,  —  several  men  accomplishing  this  by  gather- 
ing it  in  at  the  foot,  and  holding  it  firmly  with  their 


64  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

hands  against  the  fur}'  of  the  wind  and  the  thrashing  of 
the  boat.  It  was  a  trick  I  had  practiced  in  bad  weather 
ever  since  we  reached  open  water,  and  one  that  had  an- 
swered admirably.  But  now  in  slackening  our  speed  the 
waves  came  tumbling  in  and  filled  the  boat.  This,  for 
the  time  being,  naturally  alarmed  the  men,  who  clinging 
tenaciously  to  the  foot  of  the  sail  suddenly  found  them- 
selves steeped  to  their  hips  in  icy  water.  They  would 
as  promptly  release  their  grip,  and  then  such  a  tumult 
of  flapping  sail,  pounding  boat,  and  demoralized  baggage 
would  ensue  as  might  startle  old  Tom  Bowline  himself. 
After  several  of  these  mishaps,  succeeded  by  vehement 
bailing  with  buckets  and  pans,  and  no  little  growling  on 
the  part  of  the  crew,  I  perceived  that  we  had  drifted  al- 
most to  within  hail  of  De  Long,  who  was  gesticulating 
and  shouting  something  to  me  altogether  inaudible  above 
the  roar  of  the  elements.  Just  then  a  monstrous  sea 
came  combing  onward  and  deluged  both  of  us,  but  chiefly 
the  whale-boat,  which  nearly  filled.  It  started  me  to  my 
feet,  and  I  shouted  down  the  wind  to  De  Long  that  I 
must  run  or  swamp.  He  appeared  to  realize  the  peril  of 
our  situation  at  once ;  for  the  next  instant,  as  the  sea  swept 
over  and  around  us,  he  waved  his  arm  in  an  energetic 
manner  motioning  me  onward  or  from  him,  and  at  the 
same  time  hallooed  some  message  which  was  lost  in  the 
noise  of  the  gale.  However,  I  felt  that  we  understood 
each  other  ;  that  if  I  would  save  my  boat  and  crew  I 
must  run  for  it ;  that  to  lay  alongside  of  De  Long  meant 
quick  destruction  ;  and  that  if  either  of  the  open  and 
overladen  boats  should  swamp  or  roll  over,  the  other 
could  not  possibly  rescue  the  unfortunate  crew. 

So  when  De  Long  waved  me  permission  to  leave  him, 
I  hoisted  sail,  shook  out  one  reef,  and  as  we  gathered  way 
the  boat  shot  forward  like  an  arrow,  and  the  spray  flew 
about  us  like  feathers.  Heretofore  we  had  been  running 
dead  before  the  wind  on  our  southwest  course  for  the 


RETREATING   OVER   THE  PACK.  65 

land,  but  the  heavy  sea  and  lively  motion  of  the  boat 
caused  the  sail  to  jibe  and  fill  on  the  other  tack,  where- 
upon we  would  broach  to  and  ship  water.  For  this  reason 
I  hauled  up  the  boat  several  points  or  closer  to  the  wind, 
and  our  condition  at  once  improved.  Now  that  we  were 
separated  I  resolved  to  concern  myself  directly  with  the 
safety  of  my  own  boat;  so  that  when  one  of  the  men 
said  that  De  Long  was  signaling  us,  I  told  him  he  must 
be  wrong,  and  further  directed  that  no  one  should  see 
any  signals  now  that  we  were  cast  upon  our  own  re- 
sources. 

The  whale-boat  was  leaping  forward  at  a  spanking 
rate  and  fast  distancing  the  first  cutter,  when,  hearing 
another  of  the  crew  exclaim  that  De  Long  was  signaling 
Chipp,  I  turned  around  and  looked  back  over  my  left 
shoulder  towards  where  I  expected  the  second  cutter 
would  be.  For  an  instant  she  was  not  to  be  seen,  but 
presently  I  saw  her  far  off  in  the  dim  twilight  rise  full 
before  the  wind  on  the  crest  of  a  wave,  and  then  sink 
briefly  out  of  sight.  Once  more  she  appeared ;  an  im- 
mense sea  enveloped  her ;  she  broached  to ;  I  could  dis- 
cern a  man  striving  to  free  the  sail  where  it  had  jammed 
against  the  mast ;  she  plunged  again  from  view ;  and 
though  wave  after  wave  arose  and  fell,  I  saw  nothing  but 
the  foam  and  seething  white  caps  of  the  cold  dark  sea. 
When  last  seen,  the  second  cutter  was  about  one  thou- 
sand yards  astern  of  us,  the  first  cutter  probably  midway 
between,  and  there  is  no  doubt  in  my  mind  that  she 
then  foundered.  A  conversation  with  the  only  two  sur- 
viving members  of  the  first  cutter  (Nindemann  and  No- 
ros)  has  confirmed  me  in  this  belief  ;  for  they  witnessed 
the  scene  as  I  have  described  it,  and  state  that  it  was  the 
general  opinion  of  De  Long's  crew  that  I  had  shared 
the  same  fate  simultaneously  with  Chipp. 


CHAPTER  V. 
VOYAGE   OF  THE  WHALE-BOAT. 

Weathering  the  Gale.  —  Our  Sea- Anchor.  —  Siberia  in  Sight. 

Long  before  our  separation,  and  while  the  sea  and 
wind  were  growing  in  force  and  fury,  the  crew  debated 
whether  or  not  our  boat  could  outlive  the  gale ;  and 
many  were  the  wishes  that  we  might  sight  the  stream 
of  running  ice  in  which  to  take  shelter.  To  me  it  seemed 
another  case  of  "Night  or  Blucher"  —  ice  or  heave  to. 
The  latter  alternative  could  only  be  accomplished  by 
means  of  a  drag,  or  sea-anchor,  such  as  the  "  double- 
enders  "  used  on  our  coast  during  the  late  war.  It  was 
only  a  question  of  size  and  proper  weighting,  which  we 
thoroughly  discussed,  educing  many  suggestions  that 
were  not  more  novel  than  absurd.  I  finally  ordered  a 
drag  to  be  made  of  three  tent-poles,  lashed  together  and 
covered  with  canvas  so  as  to  form  a  triangular  parachute. 
The  small  watch-tackle  supplied  us  with  rope ;  and  the 
iron  straps,  block-hooks,  and  brass  tips  from  the  tent1 
poles,  gave  sufficient  weight  to  submerge  and  hold  the 
anchor  in  position. 

And  here,  to  the  reader  unacquainted  with  the  use  or 
philosophy  of  a  sea-anchor,  or  drag,  a  brief  description  of 
the  same  may  not  be  out  of  place.  During  a  gale  the 
sea  generally  runs  with  the  wind  even  against  tide  or 
current,  though,  indeed,  these  may  do  battle,  and  so  pro- 
duce a  state  of  neutral  agitation.  Still  the  rule  is  as  I 
have  stated  it ;  and  consequently  it  becomes  necessary  for 


VOYAGE   OF   THE    WHALE-BOAT.  67 

every  vessel,  large  or  small,  when  running  before  the 
wind  in  a  heavy  sea,  to  keep  constantly  ahead  of  the 
waves,  —  in  other  words,  go  faster,  —  else  they  will  roll 
over  the  stern  and  swamp  the  boat.  In  great  storms, 
too,  the  vessel  may  be  so  strained  and  racked  that  the 
timbers  and  fastenings  will  be  wrenched  apart,  and  she 
will  founder,  literally  thrashed  to  pieces.  Or  again  there 
is  a  more  common  danger,  though  equally  fatal,  where 
the  sea,  striking  the  vessel  on  either  quarter,  or  rushing 
past,  hurls  her  from  her  course.  In  this  case  the  rud- 
der is  powerless  to  save,  being  momentarily  out  of  the 
water  ;  the  sail  jibes  or  fills  on  the  other  side  ;  and  the 
sudden  alteration  of  course  and  reduction  of  speed  is  in- 
stantly taken  advantage  of  by  the  next  wave,  which 
boards  or  hurls  itself  against  the  vessel,  in  most  instances 
destroying  her,  however  large,  and,  if  an  open  boat,  cer- 
tainly overwhelming  her.  It  is  to  avoid  these  perils  that 
the  sea-anchor  is  prepared.  So  long  as  a  ship  remains 
tight  and  light  she  will  rise  to  meet  the  waves,  her  bows 
cleaving  them  sharply  in  two,  if  properly  shaped,  with 
a  graceful  buoyant  swell  towards  the  rail ;  and  even 
though  part  of  a  wave  be  carried  over  her  bows,  the  top- 
gallant forecastle  is  there  to  shed  it  off.  Now  the  main 
object  is  to  hold  the  vessel's  head  to  the  sea.  With  sail- 
ing vessels  this  is  done  by  using  particular  sails,  and  woe 
betide  the  one  whose  helmsman  is  careless  of  keeping 
her  head  just  so ;  for  should  she  broach  to  or  fall  off  into 
the  trough  of  the  sea,  and  a  wave  board  her,  all  movable 
as  well  as  many  stationary  articles  will  be  swept  from 
her  decks.  It  is  an  easy  matter  to  keep  a  steamer's  head 
to  the  sea,  and  by  slowly  turning  the  engine  gain  suffi- 
cient headway  to  hold  her  in  command  ;  or,  assisted  by  a 
little  sail  to  prevent  rolling,  she  may  be  laid  to  in  safety. 
Yet,  if  too  much  speed  be  given  the  steamer,  the  waves 
will  dash  over  her  forecastle  and  sweep  her  decks,  as 
they  would  those  of  the  sailing  ship. 


68  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

But  to  keep  the  head  of  our  little  craft  to  the  sea  we 
must  resort  to  the  drag,  or  sea-anchor.  If  a  parachute  be 
made  and  so  loaded  as  to  sink  properly  below  the  sur- 
face of  the  water,  and  a  rope  be  attached  which  passes 
through  or  is  fastened  to  the  bow  of  the  boat,  it  can 
plainly  be  seen  how  the  parachute,  if  of  sufficient  area, 
will,  as  it  drags  slowly  through  the  water,  keep  the  head 
of  the  boat  toward  the  sea.  The  boat,  catching  the  wind, 
is  hurried  along,  and  would  soon  be  turned  sideways  and 
rolled  over  like  a  log  were  it  not  for  the  anchor,  which 
gently  but  firmly  resists  the  furious  tugging  of  the  would- 
be  suicide.  Should  the  drag  from  any  cause  float  to  the 
surface,  or  the  rope  break,  its  efficacy  is  at  once  lost,  and 
doubtless  also  the  boat ;  or,  if  it  hangs  perpendicularly 
under  the  boat  when  a  sea  rushes  upon  it,  the  drag  will 
become  an  additional  weight  for  the  bow  to  lift,  failing 
in  which  the  boat's  head  will  be  buried ;  perhaps  the 
stern,  too.  It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  a  sea-anchor 
is  drawn  through  the  water  after  the  manner  of  an  aerial 
parachute  dropped  weighted  from  a  balloon. 

So  now,  not  only  the  propriety  of  making  one,  but  its 
size  and  weight,  became  momentous  questions  with  us, 
since  in  our  party  of  eleven  there  were  none  who  had  lain 
with  a  drag  in  an  open  boat ;  and  those  I  had  seen  on 
steamers  during  the  war  could  give  me  no  adequate  idea 
of  the  kind  now  required  in  our  emergency.  Hence  I 
had  nothing  to  rely  upon  but  my  good  judgment,  though 
I  listened  attentively  to  the  many  authorities  around  me, 
even  if  I  did  not  seek  their  opinion.  Jack  Cole,  my 
main  prop  as  a  seaman,  declared  that  the  di'ag  would 
come  home  on  us  if  not  weighted  more  than  it  was.  Cole 
and  Manson  made  it,  I  having  selected  the  canvas.  Dan- 
enhower,  seated  beside  me  in  the  stern  sheets,  held  the 
end  of  the  boat-fall,  and  so  singled  the  three  anchor  ropes, 
preserving  an  equality  of  strain  on  the  three  corners  of 
the  drag.     Leach  (seaman)  was  steering,  and  I,  as  before 


VOYAGE   OF  THE    WHALE-BOAT.  69 

and  after,  steadily  attended  the  sheet.  By  this  time 
my  hands  were  swollen,  blistered,  and  split  open  by  the 
cold  and  stagnation  of  my  blood.  When  poor  Jack  Cole 
protested  that  the  drag  was  not  heavy  enough  and  would 
surely  come  back  on  us,  I  had  nothing  else  to  weight  it 
with  other  than  our  cook-kettles  or  fire-pots,  so  I  deter- 
mined to  launch  it  as  it  was.  The  first  cutter  had  been 
lost  to  sight  for  more  than  an  hour  ;  it  had  taken  us  two 
hours  to  prepare  the  drag ;  and  it  was  now  nine  o'clock 
(of  the  night  of  September  12th). 

Finally,  with  the  fire-pot  ready  to  slip  on  the  rope  in 
case  Jack  Cole's  fears  should  be  realized,  we  were  pre- 
pared to  test  the  efficacy  of  our  anchor,  when,  at  this 
juncture,  Mr.  Danenhower  asked  me  if  I  would  permit 
him  to  put  the  boat  about.  I  hesitated  a  moment,  and 
then  replied  no,  that  I  would  do  it  myself.  But  the  next 
instant,  concluding  that,  if  there  was  any  especial  point 
in  the  seamanship  of  putting  the  boat  about  in  a  gale 
of  wind  of  which  I  might  be  ignorant,  and  he  as  a  pro- 
fessional sailor  aware,  it  was  my  duty  as  commander  to 
avail  myself  of  it  or  any  other  chance  that  might  in- 
sure the  safety  of  my  men ;  so  I  granted  his  request, 
standing  by,  however,  with  a  view  to  any  emergency. 
The  oars  were  gotten  out,  the  helmsman  directed  to 
watch  the  sea,  and  the  drag  was  carried  forward  to  the 
bow  and  placed  in  charge  of  fireman  Bartlett,  the  rope 
being  coiled  under  his  feet,  and  he  was  ordered  to  see 
everything  cleared  when  word  was  given  to  throw  out 
the  drag.  It  is  a  well-known  fact  among  sailors  that  the 
waves  of  the  ocean  follow  each  other  in  succession  of 
threes ;  that  is,  after  a  large  wave  the  two  which  follow 
will  surely  be  as  heavy  in  appearance,  at  least.  When 
such  a  succession  had  occurred  it  was  but  the  work  of  a 
moment  to  "stai'board  the  helm,  lower  away  the  hal- 
yards, and  gather  in  the  sail."  Then,  —  "  Give  away 
starboard,  and  back  port  "  was  the  order  ;  but  before  we 


70  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

could  veer  around,  an  awkward,  lazy  wave  came  tum- 
bling in  torrents  upon  us.  Pumping  and  bailing  with 
might  and  main,  we  kept  the  boat  before  the  sea  and 
awaited  a  calm  ;  until,  after  a  hurried  consultation,  we 
put  her  about  again,  and  as  she  came  around  head  to  the 
sea,  Bartlett  cast  clear  the  drag.  As  he  did  so,  the  boat's 
head  dived  down  into  the  hollow  of  a  wave,  and  I  saw 
Bartlett  lose  his  balance  and  pitch  headlong  forward,  ap- 
parently into  the  sea.  But  with  his  right  hand  he  had 
grasped  the  halyards,  which  were  flying  clear  of  the  mast, 
and  the  next  instant,  as  the  boat  arose  on  the  crest  of  a 
wave,  he  was  hurled  sprawling  back  against  the  mast, 
where  he  clung  for  his  life.  When  I  saw  his  frantic 
struggles,  my  heart  leaped  into  my  throat  lest  he  would 
plunge  overboard,  and  had  such  been  the  case,  no  matter 
how  great  his  vigor  and  power  of  endurance,  his  fate 
would  certainly  have  been  sealed.  And  now,  for, a  short 
time,  we  were  forced  to  use  the  oars  in  a  most  clumsy 
manner,  in  order  to  keep  our  bow  toward  the  sea.  The 
drag  was  too  light,  and  began  to  rise  to  the  surface  and 
drift  rapidly  to  leeward.  The  boat,  held  in  place  by  the 
oars,  yawed  about,  shipping  considerable  water,  and  Jack 
Cole  gave  vent  to  his  expected  "  I  tould  yees  so."  For 
this  I  was  prepared,  however,  and  soon  had  the  copper 
fire-pot  running  out  along  the  rope  towards  the  drag, 
which  it  promptly  sank  and  caused  to  rest  much  better. 
So  the  oars  were  brought  into  the  boat,  and  the  weather- 
cloths  again  raised  over  the  tops  of  the  stanchions  and 
backs  of  the  men. 

And  now,  how  long  we  must  thus  lie  anchored  would 
altogether  depend  upon  the  duration  of  the  gale.  Mis- 
erable we  were,  indeed,  with  the  sea  dashing  constantly 
over  us,  and  our  strength  severely  taxed  in  bailing  out 
the  flood  with  pump,  buckets,  and  pans.  Danenhower 
and  myself  had  vacated  our  two  seats  in  the  stern  sheets 
to  permit  a  freer  use  of  the  steering  oar;    and  I  now 


VOYAGE  OF  THE    WHALE-BOAT.  71 

divided  the  men  into  two  watches ;  detailing  Cole  and 
Bartlett  to  look  after  the  forward  part  of  the  boat,  and 
Leach,  Wilson,  and  Manson  to  take  regular  turns  of  two 
hours  each  at  the  steering  oar.  The  others  I  directed  to 
lie  down  on  the  thwarts  or  seats,  and  get  what  rest  they 
could.  Sleep  was  impossible,  but  it  was  a  great  relief  to 
stretch  our  limbs  after  their  long  cramping,  and  feel  the 
warm  blood  flowing  again  towards  our  almost  frozen  feet. 
The  weather-cloths  were  frail  bulwarks,  and  the  waves 
broke  over  them  on  either  side.  Then  "Quick,  quick,  be- 
fore another  one  comes  !  "  and  we,  weary  wretches  that 
we  were,  faint  from  hunger  and  thirst  (for  we  had  no 
water  left),  would  renew  our  exertions,  and  bail  clear  our 
little  craft  ere  the  next  wave  could  tumble  in  and  wreck 
us.  And  the  intervals  —  they  were  lucid  with  the  cruel 
spray  which  dashed  and  froze  upon  us.  Thus  we  passed 
the  night,  an  incubus  of  horrors,  and  at  daybreak  there 
was  no  abatement  of  the  storm.  We  had  among  our 
medical  stores  one  quart  of  brandy  and  one  of  whiskey, 
and  a  request  for  a  drink  being  made  by  one  person  and 
eagerly  seconded  by  others,  I  drew  forth  the  latter  bot- 
tle and  told  Bartlett  to  divide  it  as  equally  as  possible 
among  the  ten  men ;  not  caring  for  it  myself  and  feeling 
rather  chagrined  that  any  one  else  should  ask  for  it.  In 
the  division,  Bartlett  dealt  with  a  too  liberal  hand,  and 
alas  !  for  himself,  went  dramless  along  with  me. 

Daylight  did  nothing  but  enhance  our  misery,  since  it 
enabled  us  to  witness  each  other's  wretchedness.  For 
breakfast  I  issued  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  pemmican  to 
each  man,  the  same  allowance  I  had  made  for  supper  the 
night  before.  I  could  not  and  did  not  eat  my  ration, 
small  as  it  was,  and  so  returned  it  to  the  common  fund. 
I  had  now  placed  the  men  on  one  half  the  ration  they 
had  been  receiving  before  the  separation,  or  three  quar- 
ters of  a  pound  of  pemmican  instead  of  one  and  a  half 
pounds,  hoping  by  this  economy  to  make  our  four  or  five 


72  IN  THE  LENA  DELTA. 

days'  supply  last  twice  as  long,  and  in  this  I  succeeded. 
The  vessels  we  had  filled  with  snow  were  all  deluged 
with  salt-water  ;  and  though  each  of  the  other  boats  was 
possessed  of  five  and  ten  gallon  water  breakers,  yet  the 
one  belonging  to  the  whale-boat,  it  will  be  remembered, 
was  abandoned  on  the  ice  with  the  story  of  the  Jeannette 
between  its  oaken  ribs.  The  others  complained  of  thirst, 
but  I  never  felt  the  need  of  a  drink  until  we  came  upon 
the  sweet  water  of  the  river.  I  constantly  chewed  a 
piece  of  wood,  which  induced  a  flow  of  saliva,  and  my 
body,  as  indeed  the  bodies  of  my  companions,  exuded  but 
little.  Again,  throughout  the  whole  of  my  Arctic  expe- 
rience, I  accustomed  myself  to  do  without  water  for 
drinking  purposes ;  and  I  am  confident  that  outside  of 
our  usual  allowance  of  tea  and  coffee  at  morning  and 
evening  meals,  and  a  small  cup  of  black  coffee  at  noon,  I 
did  not  drink  three  pints  of  water  during  the  time  we 
were  on  board  ship  and  on  the  march.  This  saved  me 
much  of  the  suffering  that  the  others  endured ;  for  while 
on  the  ice  I  have  seen  many  of  the  men,  when  they 
thought  they  were  unobserved,  drink  from  the  pools  and 
eat  of  the  soft  salty  snow,  which  De  Long  had  forbidden 
them  so  to  touch. 

As  the  day  wore  on,  the  wind,  which  had  shifted, 
seemed  to  subside,  and  the  sea  became  more  broken  and 
turbulent.  The  heavily-laden  boat  now  sunk  deeper 
than  ever,  and,  almost  water-logged,  shipped  water,  as" 
she  rose  and  fell,  over  forecastle  and  stern.  Still  we 
stuck  bravely  to  our  work,  and  poor  Iniguin,  who  had 
been  little  at  sea,  sat  squarely  down  in  the  bottom  of  the 
boat  and  bailed  for  dear  life.  He  and  Charley  Tong 
Sing  were,  in  fact,  our  most  effective  bailers.  About 
three  or  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  clouds  began 
to  roll  away,  we  caught  glimpses  of  the  blue  sky,  and 
there  was  every  evidence  of  the  gale  having  spent  its 
fury.     At  this  season  of  the  year  the  sun  was  exactly 


VOYAGE   OF  THE    WHALE-BOAT.  73 

twelve  hours  above  the  horizon,  and  when  it  shone  we 
encountered  no  difficulty  in  shaping  our  course  by  my 
old  watch.  The  sun  arose  at  six  A.  M.,  was  due  south  at 
noon,  and  set  at  six  P.  M. ;  so  I  had  two  checks  on  the 
watch,  besides  the  one  at  noon  by  compass,  which,  being 
a  prismatic  instrument,  did  not  swing  as  easily  as  a 
mariner's  compass.  It  was  fitted  too  neatly  to  its  case, 
and  the  water  gaining  entrance  glued  the  circle  and 
clogged  its  movement ;  so  that  while  afloat  we  found  it 
better  to  steer  by  sun  and  moon  when  they  were  visible. 

At  five  o'clock  the  sea  and  wind  had  calmed  suffi- 
ciently to  permit  of  my  getting  under  way,  which  I  did 
at  once,  laying  the  course  about  southwest  for  Cape  Bar- 
kin.  The  wind  had  shifted  more  to  the  eastward,  and  we 
ran  rapidly  along,  with  the  moon  and  stars  now  shining 
brightly.  At  six  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  14th  we 
were  sailing  through  the  young  ice,  and  keeping  a  bright 
lookout  for  the  land  which  we  expected  to  raise  every 
moment,  when  the  boat  suddenly  brought  up  on  a  shoal. 
Long  and  anxiously  we  gazed  in  the  hope  of  sighting 
the  low  beach  or  mountains  back  of  the  Delta ;  but  to  no 
purpose.  Bartlett  thought  he  saw  land ;  but  as  no  one 
else  confirmed  his  guess,  I  concluded  that  the  shoal  made 
off  shore  beyond  the  range  of  our  vision  ;  so  we  fnished 
off  and  stood  to  the  eastward.  My  orders  were  to  pro- 
ceed to  Cape  Barkin,  where  I  would  be  sure  to  find  na- 
tives, with  whom  I  could  arrange  to  be  piloted  into  the 
river  to  a  native  or  Cossack  village. 

I  felt  assured  of  our  general  position,  knowing,  from 
the  northeast  gale  which  had  steadily  blown  while  we 
lay  to,  that  we  were  now  to  the  west  of  Cape  Barkin, 
eastward  of  which  I  also  knew  was  the  Bay  of  Bor- 
khia.  So  I  kept  the  boat  to  the  eastward  all  day,  at  the 
same  time  progressing,  whenever  an  opportunity  offered, 
toward  the  southward.  The  weather  was  genial  and 
warm,  the  sun  glowing  clear  in  the  heavens,  and  to  all 


74  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

appearances  there  never  blew  a  gale  over  so  placid  a  sea. 
Morning,  noon,  and  night  we  ate  our  quarter  of  a  pound 
of  pemmican  without  water  or  drink  of  any  kind.  Six 
o'clock  —  and  as  the  sun  sank  in  the  west  a  cloud  arose 
in  the  east.  The  wind  began  to  blow  in  fitful  puffs,  and 
every  man  foretold  another  storm.  I  knew  the  season 
was  well  advanced  and  the  time  at  hand  when  fall  gales 
must  be  expected,  but  could  not  believe  that  we  were 
about  to  suffer  another  siege  similar  to  the  one  we  had 
barely  weathered  but  a  day  or  two  before.  It  seemed 
too  inclement,  too  merciless ;  yet  if  the  worst  came  we 
had  only  to  face  and  fight  it  fairly,  however  brutal  and 
unequal  the  contest  between  our  feebleness  and  the  cow- 
ardly rage  of  the  storm  king. 

And,  in  the  first  place,  it  would  never  do  for  us  to  be 
caught  napping  on  the  shoals.  I  had  lost  all  faith  in  our 
ability  to  reach  Cape  Barkin  or  the  shore  except  at  the 
mouth  of  one  of  the  rivers.  Bartlett  had  been  sounding 
all  day  with  a  tent-pole ;  but  our  efforts  to  work  toward 
the  southward  or  beach  had  been  regularly  unavailing; 
so,  as  darkness  approached,  I  decided  to  stand  off  or 
along  shore  to  the  eastward,  having  discovered  that  the 
water  deepened  in  that  direction.  Accordingly  I  reefed 
sail  and  ran  on  until  six  o'clock  of  the  following  morn- 
ing, when  we  found  ourselves  in  nine  fathoms  of  water,  — 
additional  proof  that  we  were  now  in  the  Bay  of  Borkhia, 
and  had  struck  the  coast-line  about  twenty  miles  to  the 
east  of  Cape  Barkin.  I  now  proposed  to  attempt  an 
entrance  into  one  of  the  many  branches  of  the  Lena,  and 
so  put  the  boat  about  on  a  southwest  course.  The  wind 
was  light  and  the  weather  fine ;  indeed,  when  I  had  run 
from  the  coast  twelve  hours  and  trusted  to  making  it 
again  the  next  twelve  I  had  calculated  without  my  host, 
for  shortly  the  wind  died  away  and  we  were  fain  to  use 
the  oars,  still  very  grateful  for  our  good  fortune  in  escap- 
ing the  prospective  storm-struggle.     But  the  current  of 


VOYAGE   OF  THE    WHALE-BOAT.  75 

the  river  set  out  so  strongly  to  the  eastward,  bearing  us 
on  its  bosom,  that  whereas  I  had  at  first  hoped  to  make 
the  land  on  this  day,  I  now  saw,  with  regret,  that  all 
our  rowing  would  scarcely  do  more  than  hold  the  boat  in 
its  course.  Day  died  into  dusk,  and  all  through  the 
night  we  toiled,  by  watches,  at  the  oars  and  bailers, 
quickly  casting  out  the  sea  before  it  could  solidly  freeze 
in  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  for  it  changed  to  slush  the 
moment  it  tumbled  in.  At  dawn  of  the  16th  we  were 
again  in  shoal  water,  indicating  our  approach  to  the  east 
coast.  The  men  were  now  painfully  athirst,  and  as  we 
progressed  kept  tasting  the  water,  all  the  while  begging 
permission  to  drink  of  it ;  and  it  was  surprising  how  anx- 
ious they  all  were  to  just  sip  it  and  see  if  it  was  fresh 
enough  ;  but  noticing  that  the  tasting  process  was  only  a 
ruse  for  drinking,  I  prohibited  it  altogether,  promising 
to  make  tea  as  soon  as  the  water  was  fit. 

At  this  period  high  lands,  apparently  a  mountain- 
range,  were  seen  to  the  southward,  but  nothing  greeted 
our  sight  to  the  westward,  where  the  low  lands  of  the 
Delta  should  be.  I  was  counseled  and  urged  to  steer  in 
toward  the  mountains  ;  but  my  main  object  was  now  to 
join  company  with  the  natives,  who,  according  to  the 
charts  and  our  best  information,  roamed  all  over  the 
Delta  from  Cape  Barkin  to  Bukoffski  Moose  (Bull 
Point).  Our  provisions  were  about  exhausted,  and  the 
meagre  ration  of  three  quarters  of  a  pound  was  telling 
on  the  spirits  and  energy  of  the  crew.  So,  having  still 
a  desire  to  obey  my  orders  and  make,  if  possible,  Cape 
Barkin,  and  having,  as  well,  full  confidence  in  the  truth 
of  my  chart,  which  distinctly  declared  "winter  huts  of 
natives  "  to  be  there,  I  held  my  coui-se  to  the  westward, 
and  presently  raised  two  low  spits  of  land  with  a  gap  of 
four  or  five  miles  between,  evidently  the  mouth  of  a 
river.  Towards  this  I  made  directly,  and  by  following 
up  the  sweet  water  soon  ran  into  a  swift  current.     Mean- 


76  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

while  the  men  were  confidently  assuring  me  that  the 
water  was  fresh  ;  so  I  ordered  a  pot  of  tea  to  be  brewed, 
which,  proving  too  salty,  I  threw  away.  A  mess  of 
canned  mutton  broth  and  ham,  that  I  had  heated  and 
watered  well  into  a  pleasant  stew,  then  atoned,  however, 
for  the  loss  ;  and  we  had  breakfasted. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

ON   THE   LENA  DELTA. 

Sailing  up  Stream.  —  The  Hut.  —  Our  Frozen  Limbs.  —  Meeting 
■with  the  Natives.  —  Learning  their  Language. 

By  this  time  we  were  well  within  the  mouth  of  the 
river,  making  W.  N.  W.  Considerable  driftwood  lay  on 
the  southern  beach,  and  I  tried  to  effect  a  landing  in 
order  to  afford  all  hands  a  most  needed  opportunity  of 
stretching  our  limbs,  and  coaxing  our  blood  into  circu- 
lation, for  our  feet,  legs,  and  hands  were  now  entirely 
bereft  of  feeling :  all  save  those  of  one  or  two  persons, 
who  being  without  any  particular  occupation  had  availed 
themselves  of  their  idleness  to  remove  their  foot-gear 
and  rub  with  a  towel,  about  twice  an  hour,  their  limbs 
as  high  as  their  knees,  —  expressing  the  while  great  sur- 
prise that  others  did  not  idle  away  their  time  in  a  sim- 
ilar manner.  I  could  see  the  water  shoal  and  ripple 
along  the  shore,  and  as  there  was  but  very  little  swell 
directed  the  boat  to  be  beached  ;  but  she  took  the  bottom 
one  hundred  yards  off  shore,  and,  in  spite  of  all  our  pre- 
cautions and  exertions,  was  carried  by  the  swell  almost 
broadside  on  the  beach,  in  great  danger  of  capsizing  or 
rolling  over.  This  was  not  due  to  any  lubberly  handling 
or  guiding  of  the  boat,  but  the  men  were  too  numb  to 
act  promptly,  too  weak  to  lift  or  work  their  oars ;  and  it 
was  very  noticeable  and  discouraging  how  the  cold  had 
robbed  us  of  our  vitality,  and  produced  a  dullness  of 
mind,  movement,  and  speech  among  the  whole  party. 


78  IN  THE  LENA  DELTA. 

But  we  were  soon  afloat  again,  and  I  now  consulted  my 
chart,  a  pencil  copy  of  De  Long's,  which,  in  turn,  was 
a  copy  of  a  small  chart  published  in  the  "  Geographische 
Mittheilungen,"  by  Petermann,  the  eminent  German  ge- 
ographer, in  connection  with  a  scientific  paper  on  the 
coast  of  Siberia  and  the  Lena  Delta  in  particular.  From 
it  I  learned  that  all  the  branches  of  the  Lena  on  the  east 
side  of  the  Delta,  with  one  exception,  discharged  their 
waters  to  the  north  of  east,  and  that  the  branch  in  which 
I  had  entered  emptied  to  the  south  of  east ;  or,  the  course 
up  the  river  as  it  lay  before  me  was  about  W.  N.  W., 
and  because  of  its  great  width  at  the  mouth  I  concluded 
that  we  must  be  in  the  main  branch,  which  flowed  by 
Bukoffski  Moose.  The  presence  of  a  large  island  corre- 
sponding to  one  laid  down  on  the  chart  confirmed  me  in 
this  opinion,  but  I  was  surprised  to  find  so  little  water  in 
so  broad  a  river,  it  being  necessary  for  us  to  sound  con- 
tinually with  a  tent-pole  in  order  to  avoid  getting  ashore 
on  either  bank.  Our  common  dangers  and  miseries  had 
bred  a  closer  fellowship  among  us  than  the  relations  be- 
tween officers  and  men  usually  admit  of.  We  conversed 
together  at  all  times  of  our  many  past  escapes,  and  of  the 
uncertainty  of  our  future.  Of  one  thing  we  were  glad 
and  sure.  This  was  the  main  branch  of  the  river ; 
we  had  assuaged  our  suffering  from  thirst,  and  had  now 
a  bountiful  supply  of  sweet  water.  The  hot  tea  seemed 
to  have  thawed  out  our  tongues,  and  we  speculated  freely 
upon  the  fate  of  our  companions  ;  the  general  opinion 
being  that  ours  was  the  only  boat  which  outlived  the 
gale.     And  so,  "  Hurrah  for  the  whale-boat,"  said  we. 

But  a  matter  which  concerned  and  troubled  me  most 
was  the  possibility  that  De  Long  and  Chipp  had  suc- 
ceeded in  reaching  Cape  Barkin ;  and  hence  should  I  not 
obey  orders  and  proceed  there  too  ?  My  verbal  instruc- 
tions, indeed,  had  been  to  first  seek  a  place  of  safety  for 
my  own  crew,  and,  if  the  other  boats  in  arriving  at  Cape 


ON  THE  LENA  DELTA.  79 

Barkin  had  met  with  no  natives,  my  joining  them  there 
would  be  no  relief,  but  only  a  senseless  addition  to  our 
general  misfortune.  Mr.  Danenhower  sat  beside  me  in 
the  stern  sheets,  and  we  naturally  discussed  the  situation 
together.  He  strongly  advised  me  to  go  to  sea  again, 
and  work  up  to  Cape  Barkin,  where  "  we  would  be  sure 
to  find  natives  ; "  though  it  was  only  some  forty  miles  to 
the  north  of  our  present  position.  The  river  grew  more 
tortuous  and  narrow,  assuming  the  appearance  of  a  blind 
stream  issuing  from  a  swamp,  so  I  finally  told  Danen- 
hower that  if  it  did  not  show  better  by  noon,  I  would 
put  the  boat  about  and  try  for  Cape  Barkin  and  the  na- 
tives. It  was  but  a  day's  journey,  and  I  had  no  hesi- 
tancy in  attempting  it,  until  I  glanced  at  my  men,  — 
weak,  hungry,  and  hollow-eyed,  —  and  then  remembered 
the  shallow  coast,  the  stormy  weather,  and  our  recent 
hardships ;  while  ahead  of  us  I  had  now  not  the  faintest 
doubt  of  finding  succor.  Still,  —  orders,  alleged  relief  at 
Barkin,  and  the  possibility  of  the  other  boats  being  there 
and  in  danger.  At  twelve  o'clock  we  struck  a  shoal,  and 
agreeably  to  my  expressed  intention  I  ordered  the  boat 
about  and  announced  that  we  would  return  toward  Cape 
Barkin.  It  was  quite  evident  from  the  look  of  grave  sur- 
prise on  the  faces  of  many,  that  the  crew  did  not  wish  to 
risk  the  chance  of  another  gale  at  sea.  There  was  con- 
siderable murmuring,  but  the  boat  was  turned  around, 
when  suddenly  fireman  Bartlett  said,  — 

"  Mr.  Melville,  I  don't  believe  this  river  is  as  small  as 
you  imagine ;  there  is  plenty  of  water  if  we  can  only 
find  it,  and  if  you  will  but  think  a  minute  you  will  see 
that  the  river  even  here  is  as  large  as  the  Mississippi  at 
New  Orleans." 

Our  fellow-suffering,  I  repeat,  had  been  a  bond  which 
bound  us  all  together ;  I  had  listened  attentively  to  every 
suggestion  the  men  saw  fit  to  offer  me,  cheerfully  adopt- 
ing any  that,  to  my  mind,  might  conduce  to  our  comfort 


80  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

or  safety,  and  equally  careful  of  turning  aside,  without 
hurting  the  feelings  of  my  counselor,  any  advice  not  per- 
tinent to,  or  out  of  the  question.  So,  giving  heed  to 
what  Bartlett  said,  and  well  recalling  the  appearance  of 
the  Mississippi  at  New  Orleans,  I  ordered  the  boat  about 
again,  and  proceeded  up  the  river.  Thus  did  his  timely 
admonition,  like  the  proverbial  straw  which  alters  cur- 
rents, luckily  deter  me  from  cruising  to  Cape  Barkin, 
where,  the  following  spring,  I  found  nothing  but  the 
remains  of  old  huts  which  had  not  been  occupied  for 
years. 

We  now  labored  forward  with  renewed  vigor,  boi'n  of 
hope,  —  the  hope  that  we  would  soon  meet  with  a  village, 
a  hut,  a  canoe,  a  man,  —  saviors  that  our  previous  reading 
had  led  us  to  believe  were  abundant  in  the  district  round 
about  us.  I  did  not  regain,  however,  my  lost  faith  in  the 
game  with  which  the  Arctic  regions  are  reported  to 
abound.  A  few  black  ducks,  geese,  and  swans,  late  in 
rearing  their  young,  paddled  about,  awaiting  the  matur- 
ity of  their  broods  ere  they  would  follow  the  other  feath- 
ered tribes  in  their  winter  flight.  Several  seals  exhibited 
themselves  at  odd  times ;  or  perhaps  it  was  but  one  and 
the  same  seal,  for  they  are  very  curious,  and  will  pop  up 
and  gaze  at  a  boat  or  a  man  until  a  bullet  ends  their  ob- 
servations. Doubtless  the  reader  will  wonder  why  I  did 
not  tarry  to  secure  even  this  solitary  seal.  But  I  knew 
too  well  the  uncertainty  of  shooting  from  a  boat  at  an 
object  one  hundred  yards  distant,  not  much  larger  than 
a  double  fist,  and  which  in  all  probability  would  duck 
under  at  the  flash  of  the  gun.  I  have  seen  as  many  as 
forty  shots,  requiring  two  hours  for  their  discharge,  fired 
at  this  elusive  game,  without  other  result  than  the  loss 
of  powder  and  patience. 

Toward  dusk  the  wind  grew  cold  and  blustering.  We 
were  surrounded  by  sand-spits  and  low  islands,  while  in 
front  of  us  there  seemed  to  be  two  main  channels  sepa- 


ON  THE  LENA   DELTA.  81 

rated  by  a  large  island  which  towered  upward  like  a  great 
fortification.  After  many  trials  we  at  length  found  a 
way  through  the  shoals,  and  during  the  delay  of  more 
than  a  hour  had  sighted  a  black  uncertain  object,  near 
to  a  collection  of  sticks  apparently  forming  a  series  of 
traps.  The  prospect  of  passing  another  benumbed  and 
sleepless  night  in  the  boat  was  horrible;  so,  when  we 
discovered  the  dim  object  on  shore  to  be  a  hut,  our  joy 
was  almost  as  great  as  though  we  had  suddenly  chanced 
upon  a  modern  metropolis.  After  making  several  inef- 
fectual efforts  to  land  abreast  of  the  hut,  we  finally 
moored  the  boat  in  a  friendly  little  cove,  and  then,  dis- 
embarking for  the  first  time  in  five  days,  attempted  to 
stretch  our  limbs.  I  say  attempted,  for  most  of  us  were 
powerless  to  control  them.  As  for  feeling  in  feet  and 
legs,  we  had  none;  and  my  fingers  could  not  perceive 
the  difference  in  size  between  a  rope  and  a  needle. 

We  took  possession  of  the  vacant  hut.  It  was  old  and 
dilapidated,  having  been  rudely  constructed  of  small 
round  timber  and  split  poles.  Its  general  dimensions 
were,  at  the  base  about  eight  feet  square,  the  sides  four 
feet  high,  sloping  or  with  a  batir  of  about  thirty  de- 
grees ;  the  whole  being  covered  with  mud,  tundra,  and 
lichens.  There  was  a  fire-place  some  three  feet  square  in 
the  centre  of  the  hut,  over  which,  in  the  roof,  was  an 
opening  about  two  feet  square,  formed  by  a  rude  frame, 
notched  in,  and  supported  by  transverse  rafters,  which, 
as  well  as  the  sides  of  the  primitive  dwelling,  were  cov- 
ered with  earth  and  sods.  It  was  a  hunting  hut,  used 
temporarily  by  the  natives  during  the  summer  season, 
when  they  hunt  the  deer  or  geese ;  and  had  been  vacated 
but  a  few  days  before,  since  the  fresh  offal  of  birds  and 
fish  lay  in  and  around  it.  The  hunters  had  evidently 
been  accompanied  by  their  children,  for  we  found  a  num- 
ber of  little  toys  or  playthings ;  among  others  a  rough 
cutting  in  wood  representing  a  man  seated  on  the  back 


82  IN  THE  LENA  DELTA. 

of  a  reindeer.  There  was  nothing,  however,  to  indicate 
where  the  recent  tenants  had  gone,  or  whether  they 
intended  to  return  ;  though,  to  be  sure,  it  was  natural 
to  suppose  that,  with  the  hunting  season  over,  they  had 
journeyed  back  to  their  village  for  the  winter.  The 
traps  were  old  and  unset,  the  majority  of  them  used  for 
catching  the  fox,  while  a  few  that  were  larger  we  then 
thought  to  be  intended  for  the  wolf. 

After  unloading  and  securing  our  boat,  we  collected  a 
pile  of  wood,  and  soon  had  a  camp-fire  roaring  and  crack- 
ling merrily.  Our  bag  of  tea,  knocking  about  in  the 
bottom  of  the  boat,  had  been  thoroughly  saturated  with 
salt-water;  still,  with  the  stew  and  soup  made  of  the 
birds  shot  at  Simonoski  Island  and  reserved  till  now,  we 
drank  it,  and  supped  with  relish.  Then  carrying  up  our 
few  wet  clothes,  we  all,  barely  able  to  lie  down,  crowded 
around  the  fire,  sitting  huddled  together  in  a  heap.  Up 
to  the  present  time,  beyond  the  torpor  referred  to,  there 
had  been  no  sign  of  our  limbs  having  frozen,  and  I  be- 
lieved the  frost  to  have  been  sufficiently  driven  out,  by 
our  splashing  around  in  the  icy  river,  to  permit  of  our 
approaching  the  fire  with  impunity.  So,  we  enjoyed 
the  genial  warmth,  and  by  comparison  were  in  perfect 
harmony  with  our  new  environment,  even  though  it  was 
a  tumble-down  hut  through  whose  wide  chinks  the  cold 
blast  filtered  perhaps  a  little  less  freely  than  it  might 
through  a  rail  fence.  Long  we  talked,  and  uninterrupt- 
edly, reviewing  the  past  and  guessing  the  future,  always 
mourning  the  loss  of  those  dreary  "  ten  days,"  for  had 
we  been  so  much  eai'lier,  —  ah,  what  might  not  have 
been,  indeed ! 

Presently  most  of  us  were  tortured  with  agonizing 
pains  in  our  hands,  feet,  and  legs.  Sleep  was  utterly  out 
of  the  question  ;  and  many  were  forced  to  leave  the  fire, 
and  even  desert  the  hut  entirely,  in  order  to  avoid  the  ir- 
ritating heat.     Our  legs,  upon  examination,  presented  a 


ON  THE  LENA   DELTA.  83 

terribly  swollen  appearance,  being  frozen  from  the  knees 
down ;  and  those  places  where  they  had  previously  been 
so  frozen  and  puffed  as  to  burst  such  moccasins  as  were 
not  already  in  tatters,  or  force  the  seams  into  gaps  cor- 
responding to  the  cracks  in  our  bleeding  hands  and  feet, 
were  now  in  a  frightful  condition.  The  blisters  and 
sores  had  run  together,  and  our  flesh  became  as  sodden 
and  spongy  to  the  touch  as  though  we  were  afflicted  with 
the  scurvy.  To  move  caused  us  the  most  excruciating 
agony,  and  it  seemed  as  if  we  were  about  to  be  worsted 
in  the  end  by  what  we  regarded  as  our  best  friend,  —  fire. 
Packed  closely  together  in  the  hut,  crippled,  and  nearly 
blinded  by  the  smoke,  it  was  no  wonder  that  in  stag- 
gering about  we  trod  unintentionally  upon  each  other's 
feet.  I  had  removed  my  moccasins,  and  one  of  the  men, 
in  reentering,  planted  his  whole  weight  upon  my  left 
foot ;  the  skin  gave  way  from  the  ankle  down,  and  shot 
my  friend  (or  enemy  for  the  time  being)  off  to  one  side, 
like  a  ship  slipped  from  its  greased  launching  way. 

We  hailed  the  morning  with  delight,  and,  feebly  break- 
ing our  fast  with  the  scant  quarter  of  a  pound  of  pem- 
mican,  reembarked,  full,  at  least,  of  good  cheer,  at  the 
outlook  of  a  fine  day's  journey,  which  by  my  calculation 
would  carry  us  to  the  first  village  marked  on  our  chart. 
Following  the  main  branch  of  the  river  to  the  westward, 
we  eventually  ran  into  a  small  archipelago,  threaded  in 
all  directions  by  shallow  little  streams,  from  which  there 
seemed  no  escape.  It  was  about  noontime,  so  we  re- 
peated our  dose  of  pemmican,  and  while  some  stayed  to 
brew  a  pot  of  tea  others  set  out  to  reconnoitre  the  lay  of 
the  land,  and  explore  the  various  leads  in  the  labyrinth 
of  streams.  At  the  same  time,  Newcomb  seized  his  gun 
and  tried  to  steal  upon  a  flock  of  wild  geese  which  he  saw 
on  the  tundra.  But  alas !  either  the  wind  was  in  their 
favor,  or  the  men  made  too  much  noise;  at  any  rate  the 
geese  flatly  refused  to  tarry  and  contribute  to  our  suste- 


84  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

nance.  On  the  reconnaissance  another  deserted  hut  was 
seen  to  the  southeast  of  our  position,  but  not  visited  ;  and, 
as  the  water  seemed  to  lead  nowhere  in  particular,  I  de- 
termined to  head  the  boat  up  stream,  reasoning  that  like 
every  other  thing  it,  too,  must  have  an  end,  which  we, 
should  the  river  remain  open  and  our  provisions  last,  must 
some  time  reach.  And  thus  it  was.  In  an  hour  or  two 
we  were  again  in  a  navigable  stream,  a  mile  and  a  half 
wide,  and  flowing  swiftly.  With  a  fresh  breeze  we  sped 
along  against  the  current  at  a  rapid  rate,  passing  a  long 
high  island  tallying  to  one  on  the  chart,  and  continuing 
on  without  difficulty  until  we  came  to  a  fork  in  the  river. 
Here,  I  first  essayed  the  northwest  branch,  but  discover- 
ing it  to  be  a  mere  pocket  or  mud-hole,  turned  back  and 
followed  the  west  or  west  by  south  branch  ;  when  the 
wind  died  out,  and  we  were  obliged  to  resort  to  the  oars. 
The  current  was  strong  and  swift,  our  rowers  weak 
and  dispirited  ;  but  several  miles  ahead  there  was  a  tall 
promontory  where  the  river  turned  abruptly  to  the  south- 
ward ;  and  towards  this  I  steered,  keeping  close  in  shore 
out  of  the  force  of  the  current,  and  encouraging  the  men 
with  the  assurance  that  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  beyond 
the  promontory,  where  we  would  camp  over  night,  there 
was  a  village  according  to  the  chart,  and  that  next  day 
we  would  surely  arrive  there.  The  pull  was  a  long  and 
laborious  one,  and  it  was  well-nigh  night  when -we 
rounded  the  point  and  landed  on  the  miry,  shelving 
beach,  which  we  designated  the  "  Mud  Camp." 

Setting  up  the  two  tents,  we  gathered  enough  soggy 
wood  to  build  a  smoky  fire,  and  then  turned  in.  Danen- 
hower,  Newcomb,  Cole,  and  Bartlett  climbed  the  hill, 
some  sixty  or  more  feet  above  us,  and  slept  in  a  small 
hut  erected  there  by  the  natives  as  a  deer  lookout.  The 
night  was  cold  and  blustering;  there  was  a  light  fall  of 
snow,  and  at  dawn  the  weather  looked  lowering.  The 
wind  blew  stiffly  from  the  westward,  and  the  broad  ex- 


ON   THE  LENA    DELTA.  85 

panse  of  river,  which  here  ran  north  and  south,  was  roll- 
ing like  a  little  sea,  its  bosom  covered  with  white  caps,  and 
the  young  ice  making  along  its  shores.  We  were  mostly 
so  disabled  as  to  move  about  with  difficulty,  Cole,  Leach, 
and  Lauterbach  complaining  particularly  of  their  frozen 
feet ;  and  as  I  wished  to  keep  every  one  as  dry  as  possi- 
ble, I  winded  the  boat  about  on  shore,  and  stowing  all 
the  cripples,  myself  included,  tried  to  push  off;  but  to  no 
purpose.  Some  of  the  men,  at  length,  leaped  over  the 
bows  and  set  us  free,  but  before  they  could  jump  back 
again  the  boat  was  whirled  amid  stream,  and  it  was  only 
after  great  exertion  that  we  could  pick  them  up  again. 
I  then  sailed  under  one  reef  up  the  river  toward  the  set- 
tlements. Danenhower  now  asked  permission  to  act  as 
coxswain  for  the  day.  His  hands  and  feet  were  in  good 
condition,  and,  although  one  eye  was  bandaged  up,  he 
seemed  to  see  well  enough  with  the  other ;  so  I  gladly 
consented,  pleased  to  have  a  relief  for  my  helmsman, 
albeit  there  was  none  for  me,  since  I  would  not  intrust 
the  keeping  of  the  sheet  to  other  than  my  own  hands,  now 
cracked  and  swollen  out  of  shape.  The  wind  came  rush- 
ing down  the  hills  and  through  the  cuts  in  "  willa-was," 
careening  our  boat  until  the  water  seethed  along  her  lee 
rail  and  soaked  us  in  spray.  Soon  a  herd  of  four  or  five 
deer  was  seen  scampering  across  the  crown  of  a  distant 
hill,  and  we  hopelessly  sniffed  the  meal  from  afar.  For 
our  general  condition  now  caused  me  considerable  anx- 
iety ;  with  such  fierce  gusts  and  in  our  maimed  and 
weakened  state,  with  a  half  blind  steersman,  should  the 
boat  strike  a  snag  or  sboal  and  capsize,  we  could  scarcely 
escape  drowning  in  the  fast  running,  freezing  water. 

We  had  been  under  way  little  more  than  an  hour  when 
two  large,  well-preserved  huts  hove  in  sight  on  the  west 
bank  of  the  river.  Our  hopes  at  once  rose  high  —  were 
there  natives  here  ?  A  closer  approach  decided  in  the 
negative.     Signs  there  were  of  recent  occupancy  ;  but  no 


86  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

smoke  —  that  infallible  emblem  of  human  habitation  and 
cheer  —  issued  from  the  chimneys.  What  a  beacon  and 
a  joy,  indeed,  to  the  weary  wanderer  is  the  smoke  which 
floats  from  tenements  in  every  clime  !  The  blue,  peaceful 
cloud  is  a  welcome  anywhere,  whether  seen,  as  I  have 
seen  it,  softly  curling  above  the  quiet  cot  in  the  jungle  of 
Africa,  the  tangled  forest  of  South  America,  the  tundra 
plain  of  Siberia,  or,  stained  with  the  lurid  light  of  the 
fire,  shoot  seemingly  upward  from  a  snow-bank,  beneath 
which  is  buried  the  busy,  bustling  hut  of  the  Tunguse  or 
Yakut,  whose  hospitable  inmates,  warned  by  the  howl 
of  the  native  wolf-dog  (for  the  Esquimaux  dog  does  not 
flourish  in  northeastern  Siberia),  are  making  ready  for 
the  coming  guest. 

However,  I  ran  the  boat  into  a  little  cove  at  the  mouth 
of  a  creek,  where  the  huts,  apparently  a  fishing  and 
hunting  station,  were  located.  A  large  quantity  of  drift- 
wood and  a  number  of  native  utensils  were  distributed 
about,  proving  that  the  huts  had  not  been  permanently 
deserted.  Further  delay  was  dangerous ;  but  we  had 
rested  so  little  during  the  past  two  days,  that  I  decided 
to  avail  myself  of  these  elegant  quarters  and  the  chance 
arrival  of  natives  until  the  following  morning.  There 
were  several  upright  posts  in  front  of  the  huts,  and  to 
one  I  lashed  fast  a  tall  staff,  flying  from  its  head  a  black 
flag,  with  a  view  to  attracting  the  notice  of  natives  .or 
our  companion  boats,  should  either  advance  along  what 
I  took  to  be  the  main  branch  of  the  river.  The  boat 
hauled  out  and  cleaned,  I  divided  the  men  into  two  par- 
ties, assigning  a  hut  to  each  ;  and  soon  before  blazing  fires 
we  had  dried  our  clothing  and  lain  down  to  rest.  Day 
dawned  fair  and  clear,  finding  us  all  in  excellent  spirits 
after  a  sound  and  much  needed  sleep,  and  it  mattered 
little  to  me  how  badly  my  limbs  were  frozen ;  my  blood 
flowed  freely,  and  I  never  lost  my  head.  And  now,  in- 
deed, I  had  every  reason   to  count  upon  our   meeting 


ON  THE  LENA  DELTA.  87 

with  the  natives  or  their  villages  at  any  time.  Previous 
to  leaving,  I  lashed  a  paper  around  the  flag-staff  at  about 
the  height  of  a  man's  nose,  stating  that  I  had  landed  at 
that  place  the  day  before  with  my  company  all  well,  and 
had  proceeded  to  the  southward  in  search  of  a  settlement. 
Then,  pushing  off,  we  followed  the  west  bank  of  the 
river,  until,  greatly  to  our  surprise,  we  ran  into  a  wide 
bay.  It  mystified  me,  since  I  believed  that  we  had  been 
journeying  up  the  main  eastern  branch,  and  had  turned 
south  into  the  main  river  itself  when  we  rounded  the 
promontory  two  days  before.  Here,  now,  we  were  in  a 
great  bay  from  fifteen  to  twenty  miles  wide,  with  the 
land  only  visible  in  spots  around  the  horizon,  and  the 
water  so  shallow  that  our  boat  was  almost  constantly 
aground.  It  was  an  easy  matter  to  lay  a  southern  course 
across  the  bay  with  watch  and  compass,  for  the  weather 
was  good  and  the  sun  bright ;  but  the  difficulty  was  to 
find  water  enough  in  this  vast  area  to  float  us.  We  were 
in  a  confusion  of  sand-bars,  shoals,  and  channels;  the 
currents  running  in  every  direction,  and  yet  all  tending 
to  the  eastward  and  northward.  As  we  gradually  ap- 
proached a  high  headland  to  the  southward,  it  grew 
loftier,  looming  up  like  a  mountain,  and  on  it  several 
huts  were  presently  discernible.  Long  and  anxiously 
we  gazed  for  some  sign  of  life,  and  I  told  the  men  that 
we  would  eat  our  dinner  there  if  we  could  land.  But 
the  currents  and  shallows  crowded  us  to  the  eastward ; 
no  smoke  issued  from  the  huts  to  encourage  us  to  pro- 
long our  efforts,  although  we  still  kept  a  southerly  course, 
passing  within  a  mile  of  them  ;  and,  at  length,  entering 
a  channel  which  carried  us  to  the  eastward,  I  deter- 
mined it  folly  to  further  wear  out  the  crew  in  vain  at- 
tempts to  visit  these  doubtless  abandoned  huts,  and  so,  it 
now  being  long  past  our  dinner  hour,  succeeded  in  reach- 
ing the  bank  below  them. 

There  was  no  game  in  sight,  so  we  swallowed  our  usual 


88  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

tea  and  pemmican.  An  examination  of  some  shelter 
huts  on  the  banks  gave  additional  proof  of  the  recent 
presence  of  natives.  As  I  had  done  at  every  landing, 
the  compass  was  set  up  and  the  general  features  of  the 
country  observed,  as  well  as  the  direction  of  the  currents. 
The  men  explored  around  and  about  as  far  as  their  in- 
clination carried  them,  until  I  summoned  all  hands  to 
reerabark,  intending  to  follow  the  stream  against  the  cur- 
rent which  ran  out  of  our  course  to  the  northwest ;  or, 
rather,  since  the  water  flowed  from  the  southeast,  to  keep 
against  it  we  would  be  forced  into  the  northwest.  I  was 
debating  this  point  with  Danenhower,  and  at  the  same 
time  gazing  up  the  river,  when  lo  !  and  hurrah  !  I  sud- 
denly saw  approaching  us  three  canoes  with  a  native  in 
each.  Not  knowing  whether  they  were  friendly,  but  re- 
membering that  the  Tchuchees  were  very  hostile  at  times, 
as  were  also  the  natives  at  Cape  Prince  of  Wales  and  Cape 
Barrow  at  Behring  Strait,  I  hastily  got  afloat  in  order  to 
meet  the  strangers  on  equal  terms,  and  ordered  our  fire- 
arms to  be  kept  in  readiness,  although  under  cover.  As 
we  pulled  towards  them,  I  beckoned  and  signaled,  but 
they  fought  shy  of  us  in  evident  fear  or  suspicion.  I 
then  addressed  them  in  English  and  German,  and  we  all 
smiled  and  laughed  at  my  successive  fruitless  attempts  to 
open  up  a  conversation  in  every  modern  tongue  of  which 
I  had  the  slightest  smattering.  Finally,  two  of  the 
canoes  shot  past  us,  but  the  youngest  and  seemingly  most 
fearless  of  the  natives  drew  alongside  of  our  boat  to 
receive  a  piece  of  pemmican  which  I  directed  one  of  my 
men  to  first  taste  and  then  tender  him. 

His  name,  as  we  afterwards  learned,  was  Tomat.  At 
least  this  was  a  section  of  it ;  for  the  natives  are  known 
to  each  other  by  many  names,  baptismal  and  parental, 
according  to  peculiarities  of  nature  or  stature,  age  or 
avocation.  Thus,  "Vasilli  Kool  Gar"  (William-of-the- 
Cut-Ear) ;  "  Starry  Nicolai "  (Old  Nicholas)  ;  "  Georgi 


ON   THE  LENA   DELTA.  89 

Nicolai"    (George   Nicholas);    "Bulchoi    and    Malinki 
Nicolai "  (Big  and  Little  Nicholas). 

At  any  rate,  as  Malinki  Tomat  approached,  I  told  one 
of  the  men  to  pay  no  attention  to  him  until  he  was  close 
upon  us,  and  then  to  seize  his  canoe.  This  was  done, 
much  to  Malinki's  discomfiture  and  fright.  He  urged  us 
to  free  him,  intimating  the  danger  of  capsizing ;  but  we 
had  now  drifted  down  stream  abreast  of  our  late  dinner 
camp,  and  I  motioned  to  him  our  intention  of  landing 
again.  By  this  time  he  appeared  to  realize  that  we 
meant  him  no  harm,  and  only  required  his  friendly  assist- 
ance, for  when  we  were  moored  he  hailed  his  two  com- 
panions, who  had  hauled  out  on  the  beach  a  mile  or  so 
below,  and  they  quickly  joined  us.  Then  our  friendly 
intercourse  began,  and  one  member  of  my  party,  more 
gushing  than  the  rest,  kissed  each  native  on  both  cheeks ; 
which  salutation  they  received  with  stolid  amazement. 
I  ordered  a  pot  of  tea  to  be  prepared,  and  while  it  was 
brewing  exhibited  our  guns,  hatchets  and  other  equip- 
ments, all  of  which  interested  and  pleased  them.  Mean- 
while, the  sailors,  in  a  more  business-like  way,  had  over- 
hauled the  canoes,  and  found  some  fish,  a  goose,  and  a 
piece  of  venison.  The  natives  in  presenting  these  arti- 
cles to  us  said,  "  Cushat,  cushat,"  accompanying  the 
utterance  with  a  gesture  indicating  the  act  of  putting 
food  into  the  mouth.  This  was  the  first  word  of  our 
new  vocabulary —  Cushat.,  to  eat.  And  we  at  once  insti- 
tuted a  general  search  for  more ;  eliciting  the  information 
that  their  caps  were  shapkas,  and  the  red  and  yellow 
handkerchiefs  they  wore  around  their  necks,  platocks; 
which  they  also  made  us  understand  had  come  from  Be- 
lunga.  This  was  exactly  what  I  wanted.  The  village 
of  Belun  was  marked  on  my  chart,  and  to  it,  or  their 
Belunga,  it  was  now  my  endeavor  to  have  them  conduct 
us.  We  displayed  our  knives;  they  showed  us  theirs, 
saying,  "  Knoshocks,"  and  the  next  instant,  "  Belunga," 


90  IN  THE  LENA    DELTA. 

pointing  at  the  same  time  up  the  river  to  the  westward, 
with  a  sweep  to  the  southward.  They  likewise  spoke 
of  coperts,  meaning  merchants ;  and  then  Malinki  To- 
mat  mimicked  the  motions  of  a  blacksmith  forging  a 
knife.  I  could  have  shouted  for  joy  at  the  thought  of 
finding  a  follower  of  Tubal  Cain  here  in  the  wilds  of 
Siberia;  and  although  the  natives  had  exhibited  little 
brass  medals  hung  about  their  necks  as  proof  of  their 
Christianity,  and  crossed  themselves  and  gone  through 
many  of  the  signs  and  genuflections  of  the  Greek  Church, 
still,  to  me  the  most  welcome  and  assuring  evidence  of 
our  approach  to  civilization  was  Malinki's  pantomime  of 
the  village  smith  at  Belun.  I  knew  that  religion  in 
some  form  or  other  is  found  everywhere  that  man  can 
eke  out  an  existence,  or  the  Christian  agent  penetrate ; 
but  then  there  is  so  much  religion  in  remote  parts  of  the 
earth,  and  so  little  civilization,  that  I  reasoned  :  Since  the 
arts  and  sciences  go  hand  in  hand,  even  if  they  do  not 
all  centre  in  Belun,  yet  the  iron-worker,  one  of  the  most 
essential  contributors  to  industrial  prosperity,  is  there ; 
and  all  will  be  well. 

We  had  arranged  logs  into  seats  around  three  sides  of 
a  fire,  and  sat  there  drinking  our  tea,  which  the  natives 
called  chi  and  seemed  fully  acquainted  with.  I  poured 
a  spoonful  of  alcohol  into  each  of  their  pint  pots  of  tea. 
To  mat  did  not  relish  the  mixture,  but  the  other  two 
apparently  knew  whereof  they  drank,  and  Feodor,  who 
proved  to  be  a  criminal  Yakut  exile,  begged  for  some 
pure  alcohol.  I  gave  it  to  him,  and  observed  that  it 
yielded  the  same  mellow  fruit  in  the  savage  that  it  does 
when  planted  in  the  Christian.  His  spirits  soared  and 
he  wanted  more,  but  I  stowed  away  the  demijohn  in  the 
boat,  and  caused  him  to  know  that  it  must  not  be  tam- 
pered with.  After  our  first  course  of  tea  we  put  the 
kettle  on,  and,  cooking  the  goose,  fish,  venison,  and  a  patch 
of  raw  hide  from  the  rear  of  one  of  the  company's  panta- 


ON   THE  LENA   DELTA.  91 

loons  all  into  one  glorious  stew,  divided  it  equally  around 
and  supped.  I  then  proceeded  to  inform  our  guests  of 
my  desire  to  reach  Belun. 

To  accomplish  this  I  resorted  to  object  teaching,  — 
drawing  a  picture  of  a  village  with  a  large  dome  in  the 
centre,  surrounded  by  a  number  of  lesser  size.  Tomat 
said  "Belunga  "  at  once,  but  took  exception  to  the  choice 
variety  of  domes  or  spires.  This  being  altered  to  his 
liking,  I  then  pictured  the  whale-boat,  with  sail,  mast, 
and  spars  in  place,  and  all  hands  on  board,  which  both 
promptly  pronounced  to  be  "Flotska."  Next  I  designed 
a  man  in  a  canoe  in  the  act  of  paddling,  with  two  com- 
panion canoes  in  the  middle  distance,  and  signified  to 
Tomat  that  his  was  the  first  canoe,  which  would  be  fol- 
lowed by  the  whale-boat,  and  then  his  countrymen.  I 
lastly  indicated  the  direction  of  Belun,  and  motioning 
him  on,  uttered  the  word  "  Belunga."  He  comprehended 
the  situation  immediately,  but  cried,  — 

"  Soak,  soak  "  (no,  no)  ;  "  boos,  boos  "  (ice,  ice)  ; 
"  pomree  "  (die)  !  and  casting  himself  upon  the  ground, 
he  closed  his  eyes,  and  otherwise  simulated  the  appear- 
ance of  a  corpse. 

We  were  all  at  first  very  much  puzzled  by  shitty,  an 
exclamation  to  which  they  gave  frequent  vent,  and  sup- 
posed it  to  be  a  corruption  of  the  word  city,  which  they 
may  have  acquired  from  the  Russian  traders,  since  the 
latter  tongue  has  borrowed  heavily  from  the  German, 
French,  and  English.  But  upon  close  attention  we 
shortly  learned  that  it  was  an  expression  of  surprise  or 
wonder.  Tomat  was  bright,  and  taught  us  the  names  of 
all  his  garments  and  accoutrements.  He  owned  a  little 
gun  — fintofki,  and  was  delighted  with  our  breech-loading 
Remington,  though  somewhat  awed  at  the  size  of  the 
bullet  and  the  loud  report  when  Bartlett  pulled  the  trig- 
ger, and  more  particularly  so  at  the  hole  bored  by  the 
bullet  in  the  stump  of  a  tree.     They  all  gazed  with  admi- 


92  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

ration  on  our  axe  and  hatchets,  but  were  very  proud  of 
their  own,  made  of  un-steeled  iron.  The  blade  of  the  axe 
is  carried  in  a  leather  or  hide  case  to  protect  the  edge, 
and  is  whetted  with  the  steel  which  accompanies  their 
flint  and  punk  bag. 

Still  I  could  not  induce  them  to  pilot  us  to  Belun. 
They  made  many  excuses,  chiefly  the  great  danger  and 
distance ;  and  there  was  the  ice  forming  on  the  river, 
and  the  scarcity  of  food  and  clothing  ;  at  which  they  dis- 
played their  tattered  moccasins  and  other  raiment.  All 
this  while,  however,  they  labored  to  convince  us  that 
they  would  very  much  like  to  go  to  Belun,  if  possible, 
since  there  they  could  get  all  manner  of  good  things, 
inter  alia,  plenty  of  vodki  (rye  whiskey).  And  after 
showing  us  how  they  would  drink  a  great  deal  of  it,  by 
putting  down  one  imaginary  article  of  clothing  after  an- 
other in  trade  or  pawn,  until  at  length  they  could  get  or 
drink  no  more,  they  then,  to  the  amusement  of  all,  lay 
down  and  indicated  how  very  sick  they  would  be,  or,  as 
the  sailors  have  it,  "  Hog  oh !  "  Meanwhile  we  had 
gleaned  that  balogan  was  house ;  sj?ee,  sleep  ;  olane,  rein- 
deer ;  and  ballook,  fish  ;  and  by  means  of  these  few  words 
I  shortly  acquainted  them  with  our  wish  to  proceed  at 
once  to  a  place  where  we  could  eat  and  sleep.  They 
willingly  assented,  and  to  show  me  how  thoroughly  they 
apprehended  my  meaning  laid  their  heads  in  their  hands, 
closed  their  eyes  and  snored  ;  then  with  cheeks  distended 
they,  in  fancy,  spurted  water  into  their  hands,  and  went 
through  the  act  of  washing  their  faces,  after  their  cus- 
tom, saying,  "Cushat,  cushat,  olane,  ballook."  This  be- 
ing altogether  satisfactory  to  both  parties,  we  pushed  off, 
and  in  less  than  a  half  hour,  under  the  guidance  of  our 
new  friends,  arrived  safely  beneath  the  huts  on  the  prom- 
ontory, which  we  had  tried  so  strenuously  to  reach  that 
day.  Hauling  the  boat  and  canoes  well  up  on  the  beach, 
we  conveyed  most  of  our  gear  to  the  huts  ;  I  being  par- 


ON  THE  LENA   DELTA.  93 

ticularly  careful,  before  I  abandoned  the  demijohn,  to 
empty  all  of  its  contents  into  a  small  alcohol  breaker,  of 
which  the  natives  knew  nothing,  and  which  I  carried  up- 
wards with  me.  We  found  the  place  to  be  a  deserted 
village,  formerly  known  as  Little  Borkhia.  It  had  badly 
gone  to  decay,  only  several  huts  remaining  habitable, 
while  a  graveyard  in  close  proximity  was  well  filled  with 
Yakuts  or  Tunguse.  This,  I  afterwards  learned,  is  the 
state  of  affairs  all  over  the  Delta ;  the  cities  of  the  dead 
are  much  more  populous  and  prevalent  than  those  of  the 
living.  For,  as  the  guides  told  me  later  on,  when  a  death 
occurs  in  a  balogan  or  hut,  it  is  instantly  abandoned  ; 
and  chancing  upon  a  thickly  settled  cemetery  where  the 
graves  were  marked  by  rudely  hewn  crosses,  my  guides 
would  say,  — 

"  Yakut  pomree  manorga  ;  Yakut  crass  manorga  "  — 
(many  dead  Yakuts  ;  many  Yakut  crosses). 

We  appropriated  two  huts,  built  rousing  fires,  made 
tea,  and  the  natives,  setting  their  nets,  caught  some  fish 
for  our  supper.  In  the  mean  time  our  pantomime  com- 
munications progressed  with  more  or  less  understanding. 
The  names  of  our  three  friends,  we  found  without  ex- 
changing cards,  were  Tomat,  Karranie,  and  Feodor,  the 
last  being  a  miserable  dependent  upon  the  other  two. 
Tomat  informed  us  that  Karranie  would  go  in  search  of 
an  old  man,  Vasilli  Kool  Gar,  whom  he  called  "  Ta  Ta  " 
(father),  but  who,  I  afterwards  learned,  was  his  father- 
in-law,  and  would  also  bring  olane  cusJiat,  deer  to  eat. 
Our  meal  ended,  after  some  additional  indulgence  in  the 
delights  of  conversation  we  all  turned  in.  This  was  the 
first  balogan  or  hut  we  had  seen  which  affected  a  fire- 
place, a  wooden  floor,  and  berths  arranged  around  the 
walls.  It  is  needless  to  say  how  wondrously  dirty  it  was, 
or  how  pungent  the  odor  of  ancient  fish  and  bones ;  yet 
we  were  very  glad  to  be  so  comfortably  housed,  for  out- 
side a  wild  snow-storm  raged  in  the  night. 


CHAPTER  VII. 
UP  THE  LENA. 

My  Unsuccessful  Effort  "  to  go  it  alone."  —  Vasilli  Kool  Gar.  —  My 
Duck  Diplomacy.  —  Fears  of  Scurvy.  —  Arii,  the  Deserted  Village. 
—  Spiridon,  the  Ugly  Starosti.  —  Siberian  Ice- Cellars.  —  Jamave- 
loch. 

Before  retiring  I  noticed  the  natives  paid  their  de- 
votions to  a  small  brass  icon,  in  the  left  hand  corner  of 
the  hut,  farthest  from  the  door.  The  bed  or  berth  in  this 
corner,  no  matter  how  the  dwelling  faces,  is  invariably 
the  guest  chamber,  and  over  it  the  icon  or  icons  (for  there 
are  often  a  dozen  or  more  of  them)  are  placed  on  a  little 
shelf,  together  with  a  number  of  small  wax  tapers  the 
thickness  of  a  lead-pencil  and  about  three  inches  long, 
which  are  lighted  on  special  occasions,  or,  in  the  case  of 
wealthy  natives,  kept  burning  throughout  their  devotions. 
We  passed  a  restful  night,  and  awoke  to  a  good  break- 
fast of  fish  caught  over  night  in  the  nets  which  the  na- 
tives had  reset.  Karranie  had  not  yet  returned,  and  I 
began  to  doubt  the  fidelity  of  the  natives,  discerning  in 
their  manner,  however  friendly,  a  certain  fear  of  us,  and 
suspecting  from  their  actions  that  they  contemplated 
stealing  away  and  leaving  us  in  the  lurch.  I  tried  to  in- 
duce Tomat  to  embark  with  us,  or  pilot  us  in  his  own 
canoe,  but  all  to  no  purpose ;  and  when  I  directed  one  of 
the  men  to  seize  and  force  him  into  the  boat  his  piteous 
demonstrations  of  dread  determined  us  to  go  on  without 
him.  The  condition  of  my  men,  the  low  state  of  our 
provisions,  and  my  anxiety  to  reach  Belun,  where  I  could 
communicate  with  the  Russian  authorities  and  arrange 


UP   THE  LENA.  95 

for  a  search  for  De  Long  and  Chipp,  would  brook  of  no 
delay.  So  I  took  what  fish  the  natives  had,  and  Mr. 
Newcoinb  traded  a  knife  and  neck-comforter  for  a  net, 
of  which  we  hoped  to  make  excellent  use  in  case  of  an 
emergency.  Then  with  much  reluctance  I  shoved  off, 
and  left  our  good  Tomat  standing  tearfully  on  the  beach. 

He  had  persisted  in  assuring  us  that  we  could  not  get 
to  Belun,  but  had  pointed  out  the  way  to  the  villages  to 
the  southeast.  Here  I  was  in  a  quandary.  The  west 
northwest  current  was  running  strongly.  Danenhower 
cautioned  me,  "  Melville,  you  should  go  to  the  south ; 
not  that  way." 

But  I  nevertheless  did  desire  to  keep  the  boat's  head 
against  the  stream  ;  still  the  arguments  of  my  companion 
and  the  existence  of  the  villages  prevailed,  and  I  endeav- 
ored to  work  along  what  I  conceived  to  be  the  southwest 
coast  of  the  main  river.  But  the  shoals  intervened,  forcing 
us  off  to  the  eastward,  and  we  made  very  little  southing. 
At  length,  getting  the  boat  far  out  into  the  bay  where 
we  had  been  the  day  before,  I  sighted  two  tall  headlands 
to  the  southward,  and  believing  the  river  to  debouch  be- 
tween, endeavored  all  day  to  reach  them.  The  weather 
was  raw  and  windy,  the  water  rough,  and  it  seemed  im- 
possible for  us  to  proceed  a  mile  in  any  direction  without 
lodging  on  a  sand-bank.  At  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
I  decided  to  return  to  Borkhia.  The  wind  meanwhile 
had  moderated  and  was  fair,  but  there  was  no  channel, 
and  the  water  breaking  over  the  spits  and  bars  drenched 
us  to  the  skin,  and  froze  in  the  boat.  The  men  were  ex- 
hausted with  constant  rowing,  bailing,  pumping,  and  sail- 
ing. Bartlett  had  called  out  the  soundings  from  the 
time  we  started,  and,  wet  from  head  to  foot,  his  clothing 
had  frozen  stiff ;  the  tent-pole  he  used  as  a  sounding-rod 
was  a  mass  of  ice ;  and  his  hands  were  swollen  and 
cracked  in  a  horrible  manner.  The  thawing  out  and 
comparative  luxury  of  the  night  previous  had  doubtless 


96  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

rendered  us  more  tender  and  susceptible  to  cold  and 
pain,  for  certainly  the  complaints  were  now  greater  than 
ever  before.  My  legs  from  the  knees  down  were  covered 
with  sores  and  blisters,  causing  me  the  most  intense 
agony.  Leach,  Manson,  and  Wilson,  being  younger  than 
Cole,  appeared  to  work  the  boat  quicker  than  he  at  my 
word  of  command,  when  Bartlett  shouted  the  soundings 
from  the  bow,  but  they  had  been  on  duty  all  day  and 
were  now  utterly  fagged  out.  Though  I  had  continually 
held  the  sheet,  I  did  so  mechanically,  my  hands  having 
been  robbed  of  all  feeling.  Towards  night  Danenhower 
volunteered  to  steer,  but  the  wind  and  snow  blinded  him ; 
and  after  several  attempts  to  lay  a  course  according  to 
the  direction  of  the  wind  as  it  blew  against  his  cheek  (I 
having  rolled  up  the  ear-guards  of  his  cap  for  that  pur- 
pose), with  the  almost  disastrous  result  of  jibing  the 
boat,  I  ordered  Leach  to  relieve  him  at  the  tiller, . —  con- 
cluding to  anchor  for  the  night  under  the  lee  of  the  first 
shoal  we  encountered,  and  like  St.  Paul  await  the  coming 
of  the  day.  After  trying  once  or  twice  to  round  a  point 
of  land  on  which  we  could  see  the  white  waves  dashing, — 
our  boat  close  on  the  wind  and  the  lee  oars  in  motion  to 
keep  her  clear  of  the  shoal,  —  we  at  last  succeeded,  and 
found  ourselves  in  deep  quiet  water  behind  the  bar. 

But  how  to  anchor  without  an  anchor  or  even  an  ex- 
cuse for  one !  Our  only  resource  was  to  fasten  the  boat 
to  a  stake,  and  even  this  article  being  denied  us  I  directed 
Bartlett  to  drive  three  of  the  brass-tipped  tent-poles  far 
down  into  the  ooze ;  and  then,  that  they  might  not  be 
loosened  or  pulled  out  by  excessive  strain  at  the  tops,  I 
caused  a  loop  to  be  made  at  the  end  of  the  painter,  and 
this  being  sunk  drew  all  the  strain  to  the  bottom  of  the 
poles.  And  thus  the  boat  was  held  all  night  against  the 
wind,  which  at  times  blew  fiercely.  However,  to  prevent 
the  loss  of  the  poles  should  they  in  any  way  be  set  free,  I 
had  a  slack,  light  line  securely  fixed  to  their  tops.    Then 


UP   THE  LENA.  97 

with  paddles  driven  down  on  either  side  to  keep  her  head 
to  the  wind,  and  one  man  to  watch  that  she  did  not  drift 
from  her  moorings,  the  rest  of  us  stowed  ourselves  away 
for  the  night  as  best  we  could.  Sleep,  to  be  sure,  refused 
to  slide  into  our  souls  ;  yet  covering  ourselves  with  the 
weather-cloths,  some  pieces  of  canvas,  and  the  mackintosh 
that  we  had  used  to  spread  inside  the  tent  while  on  the 
march,  we  composed  ourselves  for  rest.  But  it  was  bit- 
terly cold,  and  what  with  the  rain,  sleet,  and  snow,  our 
sufferings  were  intense.  Those  of  us  not  already  frozen 
soon  became  frost-bitten,  and  we  who  were  frozen  before 
were  now  rendered  almost  helpless  by  the  fresh  freezing 
of  our  limbs,  which  swelled,  and  stretched  the  moccasins 
to  bursting. 

At  dawn  the  storm  had  abated  and  the  river  was  tran- 
quil ;  but  the  scene  that  presented  itself  to  our  gaze  was 
one  of  depressing  desolation.  Every  shivering  soul  in 
the  company  showed  plainly  the  anguish  he  had  endured 
the  night  before ;  the  ropes  were  frozen  and  covered  with 
rime,  and  the  snow-fall  of  several  inches  was  spread  over 
the  boat  and  every  object  in  it.  The  hills  and  mud  flats, 
which  a  few  hours  earlier  were  green  and  black  on  the 
horizon,  now  glistened  in  their  wintry  coat  of  whiteness; 
and  so  altered  was  the  appearance  of  the  surrounding 
country  that  we  could  barely  distinguish  our  landmarks 
of  the  previous  day.  It  seemed,  however,  a  simple  mat- 
ter to  return  as  we  had  come.  I  had  worked  by  compass 
to  the  southeast,  and  should  find  no  trouble  in  working 
back  to  the  northwest.  But  there  was  such  a  bewilder- 
ing variety  of  opinion  that  I  permitted  every  one  to  venti- 
late himself  on  the  matter  until  nearly  noon,  when,  the 
bank  looking  very  familiar,  I  concluded  to  land  and 
make  our  meal  of  tea  and  fish.  Presently  we  had  a  fire 
blazing  warmly,  and  while  some  prepared  dinner,  others 
who  had  argued  most  vehemently  regarding  our  location 
explored  along  the  bank,  and  no  sooner  rounded  the  point 


98  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

of  land  under  which  we  had  camped  than  the  huts  of 
Borkhia  arose  before  them  in  plain  sight.  Everything 
deserving  the  name  of  game  had  long  since  left  the  re- 
gions round  about  us,  and  with  the  coming  of  the  snow 
and  freezing  of  the  ponds,  the  few  dilatory  ducks  and 
geese  that  had  abided  the  maturing  of  their  young  were 
now  winging  their  southerly  flight  in  straggling  pairs  or 
skeleton  flocks.  Only  the  gull  and  other  carrion  birds 
hovered  in  sight,  or,  floating  aloft,  looked  down  and 
gloated  on  our  misery.  Our  meal  eaten  we  pushed  on, 
and  towards  evening,  as  we  approached  the  bluff,  discerned 
with  pleasure  four  natives  running  to  meet  us.  They 
aided  us  in  hauling  the  boat  upon  the  beach,  clear  of  the 
young  ice  which  was  fringing  the  shore,  and  I  noticed 
our  first  three  acquaintances  were  now  joined  by  an  old 
man  whom  they  pushed  forward  as  their  chief,  calling 
him  "  Starosti"  "Commando,"  "  Ta  Ta"  etc.,  etc.,  and 
who  stood  with  cap  in  hand  saying  "Drastie,  drastie." 

My  own,  and  the  limbs  of  Leach,  Manson,  and  Lauter- 
bach,  were  so  badly  frozen  that  we  were  forced  to  crawl 
on  our  hands  and  knees  ;  Bartlett,  Cole,  Newcomb,  and 
others,  though  severely  attacked,  were  not  disabled  ; 
while  Danenhower  and  Iniguin  were  the  least  affected 
of  all.  The  natives  assisted  us  to  the  hut,  where  they  had 
a  cheerful  fire,  and  a  supply  of  fish  and  venison ;  and  ob- 
serving in  the  hands  of  the  men  several  gulls  which  New- 
comb  had  shot,  intimated  that  such  were  not  fit  to  eat,  and 
gave  us  fish  instead.  Yet  I  cannot  understand  why  they 
object  to  eating  gulls  when  they  have  so  often  to  resort 
to  food  infinitely  more  disgusting.  I  remember  that  one 
of  the  Jeannette  cabin  mess  asserted  that  young  gulls 
were  sold  in  the  markets  of  a  great  seaport  town  of  the 
United  States,  and  esteemed  a  great  delicacy  by  the  Slite 
of  that  place  ;  and  though  I  am  willing  to  give  my  per- 
sonal assurance  that  many  things  are  more  unpalatable, 
as  we  all  had  cause  to  know  before  leaving  the  Delta, 


UP   THE  LEX  A.  99 

still  I  do  not  propose  to  eat  a  gull  or  any  other  carrion 
bird  when  better  food  is  at  hand. 

I  supplemented  our  supper  with  an  extra  kettle  of  tea, 
of  which  the  natives  were  very  fond,  and  then  set  about 
informing  the  old  man  of  our  utter  poverty  and  our  great 
desire  to  be  shown  the  way  to  Belun,  or  some  other  settle- 
ment. He  grasped  the  situation,  and  signified  that  after 
a  sleep  we  would  all  proceed  to  a  village.  I  tried  to 
persuade  him  to  conduct  us  to  Belun,  but  he  joined  the 
younger  men  in  assuring  me  that  it  was  impossible,  owing 
to  our  want  of  food  and  clothing,  and  the  rapid  formation 
of  ice  in  the  river.  I  was  determined,  now  that  I  had  laid 
hands  on  the  natives  a  second  time,  not  to  loosen  my  grip 
under  any  condition  ;  and,  indeed,  had  so  announced  my 
intention  to  the  company  after  our  ineffectual  attempt  to 
find  a  passage  up  the  river;  saying  then  that  I  would  re- 
turn and  make  prisoners  of  the  natives,  seizing  their  ca- 
noes and  equipment  and  compelling  them  to  pilot  us  for- 
ward. Happily  it  was  unnecessary  to  enforce  obedience, 
for  after  breakfast,  the  following  morning,  we  set  forth 
on  our  journey.  Before  shoving  off  it  was  important 
that  the  old  man,  Vasilli  Kool  Gar,  be  instructed  to 
avoid  the  shallows,  since  our  boat,  being  larger,  drew 
much  more  water  than  the  canoes.  Bartlett  explained 
the  matter  by  catching  him  by  the  shoulders  and  point- 
ing out  to  him  the  water-line  of  the  boat  and  then  that 
of  the  canoes.  Vasilli  seemed  to  understand,  and,  as  a 
proof  that  he  did,  he  cut  a  mark  with  a  knife  on  his  dou- 
ble-bladed  paddle,  after  measuring  with  it  the  distance 
from  the  ground  to  the  indicated  water-line  on  the  whale- 
boat.  This  seemed  a  triumph  of  intelligence,  and  we 
thenceforth  had  full  faith  in  our  new  pilot.  I  now  advo- 
cated again  that  we  go  to  Belun,  but  met  with  the  same 
positive  refusal.  Ice,  cold,  starvation,  and  death,  the  na- 
tives said,  would  surely  overtake  us ;  and  they  drew  in 
the  snow  diagrams  of  the  course  of  the  river,  with  the  lo- 


100  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

cation  of  the  villages  at  which  we  would  have  a  halt, 
winding  up  their  argument  by  feigning  a  tragic  death 
scene.  So  with  the  promise  on  the  part  of  Vasilli  that 
we  would  eventually  reach  Belun,  we  at  last  started. 

For  a  while  Vasilli  ran  along  the  coast  in  the  direction 
I  had  traversed  the  day  before,  continuing  to  the  south- 
east as  long  as  the  whale-boat  would  float.  Two  of  the 
young  natives  were  stationed  out  ahead  on  either  bow 
of  the  old  man's  canoe,  finding  the  channel,  and  thus 
they  piloted  us  over  the  same  flats  we  had  crossed  before. 
But  the  water  in  time  becoming  more  shallow  and  the 
shoals  more  numerous,  Vasilli  abandoned  the  course  he 
was  pursuing  and  steered  off  to  the  eastward,  occasion- 
ally as  high  as  the  northeast.  Towards  evening  he  sent 
the  other  canoes  ahead,  and  remained  behind  encourag- 
ing us  to  advance  ;  growling,  muttering,  and  entreating, 
yet  always  good-humoredly,  while  he  laughed  with  us  at 
our  vain  attempts  to  understand  the  constant  chattering 
and  gibbering  kept  up  between  us.  We  had  been  pulling 
hard  against  a  strong  current  for  several  hours,  and  it 
really  looked  as  though  we  would  never  round  a  long 
sand-spit  which  stood  in  our  way,  when  suddenly  a  bright 
light  shot  upward  from  the  beach,  a  mile  or  so  in  front  of 
us.  The  other  natives  had  forged  ahead  and  built  the 
first  guiding  fire  that  had  greeted  our  eyes  since  we  left 
Unalaska.  It  infused  fresh  vigor  into  the  crew,  and  soon 
we  were  hauling  out  our  boat  on  a  bleak,  snowy  beach, 
back  of  which  arose  a  lofty  tundra  bank  full  of  fissures 
and  cuts. 

I  erected  the  two  tents  for  our  accommodation,  giv- 
ing the  natives  the  boat  sail  to  set  up  as  a  shelter,  and 
directly  the  evening  was  over  we  all  lay  down  to  rest. 
The  snow-fall  of  the  past  few  days  had  made  a  soft  bed 
for  us,  save  where  the  driftwood  that  littered  the  beach 
pushed  through  and  rendered  it  lumpy.  Our  sleeping- 
bags,  too,  from  frequent  soakings,  were  denuded  of  their 


UP   THE  LENA.  101 

hair,  full  of  holes,  frozen  hard,  and  so  shriveled  up  as  to 
be  almost  useless.  Still  was  our  thankfulness  in  itself 
an  all-sufficient  comfort ;  thankfulness  for  the  friendly- 
care  and  guidance  of  the  natives.  I  had  hidden  away 
our  small  residue  (about  twenty  pounds)  of  pemmican, 
and  persuaded  the  natives  that  we  were  entirely  out  of 
provisions,  in  order  to  urge  them  forward  ;  and,  at  the 
same  time,  I  induced  them  to  set  their  nets  and  catch 
some  fish,  while  I  secretly  issued  a  small  ration  of  pem- 
mican in  the  tents.  Old  Vasilli  overhauled  our  pots  and 
kettles,  but  finding  no  food,  supplied  us  from  his  canoe- 
box  with  a  few  little  fish,  of  which  we  made  a  watery 
stew,  long  drawn  out. 

It  was  very  cold,  and  the  wind  that  arose  when  the 
sun  went  down  blew  half  a  gale.  We  kept  a  great  fire 
going  most  of  the  night  in  safe  proximity  to  the  tents, 
but  shivered,  nevertheless,  and  shook  and  froze,  and 
morning  found  us  more  unfitted  than  ever  to  cope  with 
our  undiminished  difficulties.  A  pint  of  hot  fish  soup 
and  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  pemmican  to  each  man  (the 
natives  being  included  in  this  meal)  composed,  with  the 
tea,  our  breakfast ;  and  the  tents,  covered  with  ice  and 
snow  and  frozen  like  boards,  having  been  rolled  up  after 
a  manner  and  stowed  in  the  boat,  we  once  more  pushed 
off.  Clear  of  the  shoal  water  of  the  large  bay,  we  were 
now  conducted  through  the  serpentine  windings  of  the 
river  out  to  sea,  around  an  island  to  the  north  of  Bukoff- 
ski  Cape  and  into  the  river  again,  accomplishing  a  good 
day's  journey,  and,  as  darkness  fell  upon  us,  we  arrived 
at  two  deserted  huts  on  the  north  side  of  the  eastern  dis- 
charge of  the  main  branch  of  the  Lena ;  which  I  subse- 
quently visited  twice  during  my  second  search  for  De 
Long.  One  of  the  huts  was  in  a  much  better  state  of 
preservation  than  the  other,  but  both  together  could  not 
shelter  us  all ;  so,  from  preference,  some  of  the  men  and 
natives  set  up  a  tent  for  their  accommodation.     The  na- 


102  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

tives  caught  two  or  three  small  fish,  to  which  Vasilli  gin- 
gerly added  several  from  the  box  in  his  boat.  Newcomb 
during  the  day  had  shot  a  pair  of  ducks,  and  these  I 
magnanimously  presented  to  Vasilli,  telling  him  that 
though  we  had  nothing  else  to  eat,  we  yet  felt  called  upon 
to  tender  our  little  all  to  him,  on  whom  devolved  the 
responsibility  of  feeding  and  speedily  bringing  us  to  a 
place  of  safety.  My  magnanimity  was  not  without  its 
effect.  He  peered  into  our  kettle  and  box,  and  finding 
them  empty  wished  to  return  the  ducks,  and  proffered 
us  the  last  two  fish  in  his  canoe,  assuring  me  that  his 
larder  was  now  as  vacant  as  ours. 

Several  of  the  party  were  so  enfeebled  by  the  ad- 
ditional freezing  of  their  feet  and  legs  that  the  boat  was 
not  hauled  entirely  out,  as  heretofore,  but  the  gear  was 
heaped  upon  the  beach,  beyond  the  reach  of  the  water. 
The  huts,  according  to  custom,  were  built  on  the  bluff 
above  the  river,  and  in  our  frozen  condition  it  was  no 
mean  task  for  us  to  struggle  up  this  height.  I  had  alto- 
gether lost  control  of  my  legs,  and  so  in  ascending  the 
steep  bank  leaned  on  the  shoulders  of  old  Vasilli  and 
Karranie,  who  afterwards  assisted  Leach  and  Lauterbach 
in  the  same  manner.  Our  supper  of  fish  soup  was  pre- 
pared and  served  in  the  usual  way  ;  Bartlett  dividing 
the  food  as  equally  as  possible  into  the  pans,  which  were 
placed  on  the  ground,  each  man  seizing  his  pan,  and  Bart- 
lett and  I  appropriating  the  last  two. 

Meanwhile  Vasilli  had  cut  up  his  ducks,  using  a  great 
deal  of  water  in  cooking  them,  and  after  we  had  supped 
he  generously  gave  a  portion  of  them,  together  with 
some  soup,  to  my  party.  Many,  many  times  afterward 
have  I  seen  Vasilli  relate  to  others,  and  go  through  the 
pantomime  of  my  presenting  him  with  the  ducks,  when 
we  were  almost  dead  from  hunger,  cold,  and  exhaustion. 
The  artifice  worked  well,  and  I  felt  the  good  effects  of  it 
all  through  my  first  terrible  journey  in  search  of  De 


UP   THE  LENA.  103 

Long  ;  and  even  to  the  time  when,  leaving  the  Lena 
Delta,  I  distributed  my  few  remaining  fish  and  small 
stores  among  Vasilli  and  his  neighbors. 

Crawling  into  the  huts  at  night,  we  invariably  removed 
our  foot  gear  in  order  to  ease  our  swollen,  blistered,  and 
bleeding  legs  and  feet.  On  this  particular  night,  after  I 
had  withdrawn  my  moccasins,  all  the  natives,  one  after 
another,  examined  my  legs,  and,  pressing  their  fingers 
into  the  tumid  and  spongy  flesh,  watched  anxiously  to 
see  if  the  indentations  would  disappear  ;  and,  when 
they  had  remained  a  considerable  while,  the  natives, 
shaking  their  heads,  consulted  together  with  all  the  grav- 
ity of  medical  doctors,  and  apparently  reached  the  con- 
clusion, that,  though  I  was  in  a  very  bad  condition  in- 
deed, yet  under  the  circumstances  they  could  do  nothing 
for  me.  What  worried  me  most,  however,  was  the  fear 
that  scurvy  was  about  to  break  out  among  us.  From  my 
knowledge  of  this  frightful  disease,  it  seemed  too  anom- 
alous that  we,  having  endured  by  far  the  greatest  hard- 
ships of  any  Arctic  expedition  on  record,  should  be  ex- 
empt from  its  fatal  clutches.  We  had  passed  unscathed 
(for  Alexia's  case  was  a  mere  suspicion)  the  crucial  test 
of  a  long  march  in  wet  clothing,  under  a  discipline  of 
severest  toil  and  lowest  diet,  such  as  the  whalemen, 
hunting  from  the  floe -edges  at  a  distance  from  their 
ships,  sink  under  and  perish.  All  this  and  more  our  gal- 
lant fellows  had  undergone  ;  but  now,  though  frost-bite 
could  account  for  the  sores,  blisters,  and  curling  up  of  toe 
and  finger  nails,  yet  I  could  attribute  the  dead  swelling 
of  the  limbs  to  nothing  else  than  scurvy  ;  which  seemed 
also  responsible  for  the  soreness  of  gums  that  Danen- 
hower  and  Newcomb  complained  of.  And  yet  time  has 
satisfied  me  that  my  fears  were  groundless,  notwith- 
standing the  long  interval  through  which  we  had  lived 
without  antiscorbutics  of  any  kind. 

Next  day  we  were  early  out  and  on  our  way  again, 


104  IN   THE  LENA  DELTA. 

now  rowing  and  now  sailing,  or  both,  when  practicable, 
to  lessen  the  labor  of  the  crew.  Our  pilots  would  occa- 
sionally lead  us  into  difficulty  by  forgetting  that  their 
canoes  drew  only  three  inches  of  water  and  the  whale- 
boat  twenty-six.  Still  they  were  mindful  of  our  weak- 
ness and  misery,  making  as  many  short  cuts  as  possible ; 
and  towards  noon  we  found  ourselves  on  the  bosom  of  a 
broad,  deep  stream,  speeding  merrily  along  under  oars 
and  sail.  Vasilli  had  dispatched  a  couple  of  his  young 
men  ahead,  and  was  holding  on  to  the  side  of  our  bout, 
signing  to  me  that  his  arms  were  so  tired  he  could  pad- 
dle no  farther.  Yet  he  appeared  desirous  of  detaining 
us  pending  the  reconnaissance  and  return  of  the  canoes, 
insisting  that  we  rest  the  oars,  and,  though  the  wind 
was  fair,  lower  the  sail.  Presently  there  appeared  in  the 
distance  a  village  of  considerable  size ;  but  no  smoke 
arose  from  the  chimneys,  and  as  we  drew  near  the  bank 
our  hearts  sickened  to  find  no  welcome  from  man  or 
beast.  It  was  a  mystery  to  us  at  first ;  our  stealthy 
approach  to  the  place,  and  its  oppressive  solitude  and 
silence.  I  even  suspected  that  the  natives  had  gone  on 
in  advance  and  hurried  the  people  away;  but,  upon 
closer  inspection,  I  learned  that  the  island,  for  such  it 
was,  had  been  deserted  for  months.  Then  it  dawned  on 
me  that  this  was  a  winter  village,  whose  inhabitants  had 
not  yet  returned,  and  that  Vasilli  had  forwarded  the  two 
young  men  to  establish  this  fact,  intending  to  tarry  there 
if  the  natives  had  arrived,  and  if  they  had  not,  to  jour- 
ney on  to  the  southward  to  another  village  which  he 
knew  to  be  inhabited.  But  as  we  had  run  by  the  turn 
in  the  river,  Vasilli  concluded  to  stop  at  Arii,  the  aban- 
doned settlement ;  so  we  landed  and  occupied  one  of  the 
huts.  It  was  in  good  order,  and  the  window  places  were 
closed  against  the  weather  by  slabs  of  wood.  We  rum- 
maged among  the  huts  and  store-houses,  but  found  abso- 
lutely nothing  to   eat ;   Newcomb   was   more  successful 


UP   THE   LENA.  105 

with  his  gun,  shooting  several  ptarmigan,  of  which  we 
made  soup.  Vasilli,  having  sent  one  of  the  natives  to 
the  neighboring  village,  bared  his  arm  and  showed  where 
it  had  been  pierced  by  a  bullet  or  spear  near  the  biceps. 
It  was  shriveled  and  nigh  powerless,  and  he  indicated 
that  he  could  go  no  farther,  but  had  sent  for  a  native 
who  would  pilot  us  on. 

We  built  a  fire  and  made  hot  tea,  and  during  the  af- 
ternoon discerned  a  canoe  and  a  native  pull-away  boat 
approaching  us.  The  latter  resembled  a  whale-boat  in 
shape,  being  sharp  at  both  ends,  but  having  a  much  flat- 
ter bottom.  The  planks,  split  about  one  and  a  quarter 
inches  thick,  ten  inches  wide,  and  long  enough  to  reach 
from  end  to  end,  were  clinker-built,  and  fastened  through 
with  wooden  pegs  three -eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter. 
The  frames,  of  birch  or  spruce,  were  about  three  feet 
apart,  and  the  stem  and  stern-pieces  connecting  with  the 
keel,  which  was  chiefly  inside,  were  huge  sticks  of  tim- 
ber, with  rabbets  cut  in  so  as  to  make  a  flush  finish  at 
both  ends.  The  work  was  roughly,  though  strongly, 
done  ;  and  a  boat  of  this  kind,  from  six  to  eight  feet 
beam  and  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  feet  long,  will  prob- 
ably weigh  about  three  times  as  much  as  a  whale-boat  of 
the  same  general  dimensions,  even  though  it  is  without 
an  iron  or  copper  fastening.  The  seams  are  caulked  on 
the  outside  with  reindeer  moss  and  the  fine  rootlets  of 
the  peat  moss,  dug  out  of  the  tundra  beds  and  washed 
clear  of  earth. 

Our  friend  Karranie  was  in  the  canoe,  and  the  row- 
boat  contained  two  men  and  two  women,  three  of  them 
rowing  while  the  elder  of  the  men  steered.  This,  Vasilli 
made  me  understand,  whs  the  head  man  of  the  village, 
and  a  worse-looking  old  pirate  I  never  saw.  He  was 
short  and  thick-set,  and  his  eyes,  arched  over  with  beet- 
ling brows,  glittered  far  back  in  his  head  like  two  little 
balls  of  fire.     His  hair  was  cut  close,  and  a  like  fate,  it 


106  IN   THE  LENA    DELTA. 

appeared,  had  befallen  his  ears,  from  the  bottom  of  one 
to  the  other  of  which  nearly  extended  his  long,  firmly-set 
lips,  which  opened  above  a  great  square  jaw.  The  body 
of  a  giant  resting  on  the  legs  of  a  dwarf,  —  and  this  was 
Spiridon.  The  two  women  who  accompanied  him  —  one 
of  whom  was  Mrs.  Spiridon,  and  the  other  his  sister  — 
had  each  lost  her  right  eye  ;  and,  though  meeker  in  be- 
havior than  their  husband  and  brother,  were  quite  as  ras- 
cally in  looks.  The  young  man  was  a  boisterous,  devil- 
may-care  youth,  all  rags  and  tatters,  a  savage  counter- 
part of  the  numerous  ne'er-do-well  young  man  of  our 
large  cities,  who  is  content  to  laugh  and  live  at  his 
friends'  expense. 

Spiridon,  with  the  women,  retired  at  once  to  his  house, 
while  Capiocan,  the  youth,  was  shortly  fraternizing  with 
the  sailors.  Vasilli  came  in  to  tell  me  that  the  starosti 
had  arrived ;  so,  in  company  with  him  and  Mr.  Dan- 
enhower,  I  called  upon  the  great  little  man.  He  was 
very  stolid  and  stupid,  and  would  not  exert  himself  to 
talk  or  be  at  all  agreeable.  A  large  pot  of  tea,  which  I 
ordered  to  be  made  in  our  hut,  was  carried  over,  and  this 
we  drank  from  earthenware  cups  furnished  by  the  women. 
Spiridon  then  informed  me  that  Capiocan,  who  was  his 
2)roteg6  and  an  excellent  pilot,  would  conduct  us  to  the 
next  inhabited  village.  Vasilli  here  explained  to  the 
starosti  that  we  had  nothing  to  eat ;  so  before  we  started 
he  handed  me  a  boned  goose,  inside  of  which  were  stuffed 
four  other  geese.  Soon  we  had  gathered  our  few  effects 
together  and  were  journeying  on  rejoicing ;  our  good 
friend  Vasilli,  hood  in  hand,  bowing  and  wishing  us  fare- 
well from  the  beach.  Capiocan  and  Karranie  embarked 
with  us,  and  Feodor  paddled  along  in  his  canoe,  at  times 
in  tow  of  the  whale-boat. 

At  first  there  was  no  difference  of  opinion  between  the 
natives  in  regard  to  the  course  we  should  pursue  ;  but 
presently  we  came  to  a  place  where  each  one  indicated  a 


UP   THE  LENA.  107 

different  course,  and  as  Capiocan  was  our  authorized 
pilot,  I  went  in  the  direction  pointed  out  by  him,  and 
soon  brought  up  in  water  too  shallow  to  float  the  boat. 
This  was  by  no  means  a  strange  event  in  our  experience, 
for  it  seemed  as  though  the  natives  would  never  under- 
stand that  the  whale-boat  drew  two  feet  of  water  more 
than  a  canoe.  We  had  run  into  this  cut  with  a  fair 
wind,  and  were  forced  to  struggle  out  of  it  against  wind 
and  tide.  The  natives  had  assured  me  that  we  would 
reach  the  inhabited  village  that  night,  but  we  were  de- 
layed so  often  in  navigating  the  crooked  and  shoaly 
stream  that  it  became  necessary  to  camp  again,  which  we 
did  in  a  couple  of  old  huts  on  the  river  bank. 

I  boiled  our  boned  geese,  and  they  were  far  too 
"  gamy "  to  titillate  the  palate  of  the  most  advanced 
gourmand  beyond  the  purlieus  of  the  Arctic  regions  ; 
where  putrid  meat  is  in  general  demand,  not  so  much, 
perhaps,  from  choice  as  from  necessity  ;  for,  though  there 
is  a  perennial  abundance  of  ice,  yet  during  the  summer 
months  the  sun  is  scorching  hot,  and,  unless  the  natives 
build  ice-houses,  the  game  they  kill  in  July  and  August 
will  spoil  as  readily  at  the  Lena  mouth  as  at  New  York. 
The  store-houses  and  huts  are  built  on  the  high  banks  of 
the  river  to  escape  as  much  as  possible  the  floods  which 
at  times  inundate  the  whole  of  the  Delta,  so  that  the  cus- 
tormu-y  Siberian  ice-cellar  is  here  impracticable.  Then, 
again,  it  is  an  undertaking  of  considerable  magnitude  for 
these  people  to  excavate  a  cellar  with  the  tools  they  have 
at  command,  which  consist  alone  of  a  wooden  spade 
tipped  with  iron,  —  the  tip  of  an  inch  and  a  quarter  be- 
ing split  so  as  to  fit  on  both  sides,  and  held  in  place  by 
iron  hooks,  which  are  driven  through  the  spade  and 
turned  up  on  the  back.  The  iron  fitting  is  sold  by  the 
traders,  and  the  spade  is  soon  fashioned  out  of  a  straight 
piece  of  tough  spruce.  It  is  a  tool  in  use  by  all  the  na- 
tives, forming  a  part  of  their  winter  kit  to  clear  away 


108  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

the  snow  from  their  fox-traps.  But  the  ground  is  solidly 
frozen  to  an  average  depth  of  forty-seven  feet  in  the  dis- 
trict of  Yakutsk ;  and  when  a  cellar  is  to  be  dug  a  fire 
is  first  built,  thawing  out  a  few  inches  of  earth,  which 
is  then  removed,  and  the  excavation  so  continues  on 
through  a  succession  of  fires  uutil  a  proper  depth  has 
been  reached,  when  the  sides  are  retained  with  small 
round  timber,  which  the  next  winter  freezes  in  as  firm 
as  a  stone  wall,  and  so  gives  the  finishing  touches  to  a 
cellar  of  perpetual  gelidity. 

And  this  is  a  long  digression,  considering  that  I  merely 
wished  to  say  that  our  ancient  and  odoriferous  geese  had 
not  been  kept  in  an  ice-cellar ;  but  as  it  was  a  long  time 
since  we  had  obliterated  a  good,  honest  meal,  and  as  it 
might  yet  be  longer  before  another  opportunity  pre- 
sented itself,  we  absorbed  them  and  turned  in.  Next 
morning  it  was  astonishing  how  well  every  one  felt  after 
the  night's  rest.  To  be  sure,  those  of  us  who  were  still 
frozen  remained  so,  and  hobbled  painfully  along  ;  but 
when  sitting  in  the  boat  we  were  all  vigorous  and  strong 
in  mind,  and,  above  the  hips,  in  body.  The  suffering  in 
feet  and  legs  was  borne  without  a  murmur  until  the  ex- 
piration of  every  second  hour,  when  it  became  necessary 
to  shift  the  relief  at  the  oars.  Then,  indeed,  the  injured 
ones  anathematized  with  a  vengeance,  nor  were  the  re- 
torts always  couched  in  conciliatory  or  loving  terms.  Yet 
on  the  whole,  every  one  was  considerate  of  the  others' 
comfort,  and  there  was  very  little  ill-feeling  displayed  be- 
yond these  momentary  and  pardonable  outbursts  of  tem- 
per ;  and,  if  the  crowded  condition  of  the  boat  be  remem- 
bered, —  two  men  sitting  on  each  thwart,  and  the  limbs 
of  nearly  all  as  sensitively  painful  as  though  scalded  from 
knees  to  toes,  —  it  need  cause  no  wonder  that  at  every 
movement  of  the  boat  a  shriek  of  agony  should  burst  from 
some  member  of  the  company.  Towards  noon  we  turned 
a  long  sand-spit  in  the  river,  and  came  into  view  of  a  low 


UP   THE  LENA.  109 

island,  on  which  was  pitched  a  village  of  probably  a  dozen 
balogans,  palatkas,  and  store  -  houses,  and  one  spireless 
church.  Feodor,  in  haste  to  herald  our  coming,  shot 
ahead,  and  under  the  guidance  of  our  two  pilots  we  ran 
quickly  after,  scanning  the  village  with  eager  eyes  and 
hearts.  Soon  we  saw  the  smoke  curling  above  the  huts, 
and  then  the  crew  found  voice,  — 

"I  see  a  man!"  "I  see  two  men!"  "Look  at  the 
dogs !  "  "  Hurrah !  There 's  a  woman !  "  "  No,  women  !  " 
"  Look  at  the  young  ones  !"  etc.,  until  finally,  as  we  drew 
near  to  the  island  and  the  water  shoaled,  two  or  three 
canoes  put  off  from  the  shore,  in  one  of  which  was  a 
regular  red-headed  Russian.  We  all  noticed  him  at  once, 
and  sang  out  together,  "  There 's  a  Russian !  "  He  was 
evidently  pleased,  and,  bobbing  his  head,  cried  "  Ruskie, 
Ruskie !  "  Then  we  plied  him  with  a  hundred  questions 
in  English,  French,  Spanish,  German,  Swedish,  and  every 
crooked  tongue  of  which  we  had  a  smattering;  even 
descending  to  Iniguin's  dialect,  whom  I  told  to  address 
the  young  man  in  such  Russian  as  he  could  command ; 
but  it  was  a  flat  failure,  since  Iniguin  doubtless  addressed 
him  in  Asiniboine  or  Chinnook. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

AT  JAMAVELOCH. 

Nicolai  Chagra.  —  An  Impressive  Pantomime.  —  The  "  Red  Fiend." 
—  Over- ripe  but  Green  Geese.  —  Devotions. —  A  Balogan  de- 
scribed. 

The  starosti  of  the  village,  Nicolai  Chagra,  pointed 
out  where  the  deep  water  lay,  and  soon  our  boat  was 
moored  to  the  shore.  With  clear  heads  but  weak  limbs 
we  all  clambered  out  as  best  we  could,  chiefly  on  hands 
and  knees.  The  whole  village,  to  be  sure,  had.  come  to 
greet  us ;  men,  women,  children,  dogs,  and  all.  On  the 
beach  was  a  number  of  boats,  canoes,  sleds,  and  their 
equipment ;  hunting  and  fishing  gear  lay  around ;  and 
there  were  places  for  the  drying  and  repairing  of  nets, 
together  with  flats,  on  the  tops  of  which  some  fish  were 
drying.  When  most  of  our  gear  had  been  discharged  and 
the  boat  secured,  some  of  the  women  and  children  took 
hold  of  the  sled  on  which  I  was  seated,  watching  the  oper- 
ation of  unloading,  and  dragged  me  off  a  distance  of  sev- 
enty-five yards  to  the  house  of  Nicolai  Chagra.  Leach 
and  Lauterbach,  who  were  entirely  disabled,  followed  me 
on  another  sled,  or  hobbled  after  on  sticks.  Nicolai  hav- 
ing ushered  us  in  with  considerable  ceremony,  we  made 
mutual  attempts  at  conversation,  and  I  endeavored  to  post 
him  on  the  state  of  our  affairs.  Meanwhile  the  rest  of  the 
crew  came  marching  into  the  house  in  a  body,  armed  with 
pots,  kettles,  and  sleeping-bags,  very  much  to  the  conster- 
nation of  Nicolai,  who,  flinging  his  arms  around  his  wife, 
whirled  her  about  and  into  the  corner  of  the  room.     He 


AT  JAMAVELOCH.  Ill 

had  stationed  me  in  the  post  of  honor,  or  guest  corner, 
under  the  icon,  and,  seeing  his  dread,  I  told  the  men  to 
retire  for  a  little  while  until  I  could  explain  to  him  who 
and  what  we  were,  and  what  we  wanted.  But  presently 
they  reassembled  in  the  hut  by  degrees ;  the  natives,  too, 
crowded  around  us,  and  soon  we  were  all  on  terms  of 
good  fellowship  and  in  the  best  of  humor.  The  boiler 
was  immediately  put  on  and  tea  made.  It  was  salty,  but 
we  relished  it,  the  natives  particularly,  to  whom  it  was  a 
luxury  in  the  summer-time  when  traders  were  scarce,  and 
all  food  other  than  goose  and  deer  meat  more  so.  Mrs. 
Nicolai  Chagra  had  set  a  kettle  of  fish  to  cooking,  and 
soon  we  had  a  panful  of  it,  boiled,  indeed,  without  salt  or 
seasoning  of  any  kind,  and  yet,  to  us,  the  most  delicious 
mess  we  had  ever  eaten.  While  the  fish  was  getting 
ready,  our  host  had  passed  around  a  small  quantity  of 
tried  deer-fat.  There  was  altogether  not  more  than  a 
couple  of  ounces  of  it,  and  this  he  broke  into  little  bits 
and  served  to  us  like  sticks  of  molasses  candy.  Some 
members  of  the  party,  carried  away  by  their  imagination, 
pronounced  it  the  sweetest  morsel  they  had  ever  tasted. 
Had  there  been  enough  of  it  to  satisfy  one  man,  he  would 
perhaps  have  deemed  it  a  jolly  good  feast ;  but,  hungry 
as  I  was,  it  seemed  to  me  but  a  modicum  of  rancid  deer 
tallow  fried  in  a  dirty  pan  filled  with  deer  hair. 

I  ate  a  piece  about  the  size  of  a  copper  cent,  nor  cared 
for  more ;  but  some  of  the  men,  I  noticed,  were  anxious 
to  have  a  second  or  third  chance  at  the  "  pan  o'  fat." 
Throughout  the  entire  expedition  I  never  lost  my  taste 
for  good  things  when  they  were  available.  On  board  of 
the  Jeannette  I  ate  mechanically  —  as  a  duty;  ate  to 
keep  up  my  vigor ;  for,  although  ours  was  the  best  pro- 
visioned ship  that  ever  crossed  the  Arctic  Circle,  yet  so 
regular  was  the  diet  that  many  of  us  came  at  last  to 
loathe  the  sight  and  smell  of  the  canned  food,  which  at 
the  beginning  of  the  cruise  had  been  most  palatable.     It 


112  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

palled  on  us  as  the  partridge  did  on  the  man  who  had 
engaged  to  eat  one  every  day  for  a  month,  and  I  question 
if  one  fourth  of  all  the  food  issued  was  consumed. 

While  the  dinner  was  preparing  I  undertook  to  tell 
Nicolai  Chagra  the  story  of  our  shipwreck.  Yapheme 
Copaloff,  the  exiled  Russian,  was  all  mouth  and  ears, 
and  seemed  more  intelligent  than  the  natives.  With  a 
red  and  blue  crayon  pencil  I  pictured  the  American  flag 
on  a  slip  of  paper,  whereupon  Yapheme  exclaimed, 
"  Hurrah  Americanski !  "  and  then  explained  that  he 
had  been  a  soldier  at  the  fortifications  of  Vladivostock, 
and  had  seen  many  American  ships.  But  to  make  the 
Yakuts  understand,  I  drew  a  vessel  which  Yapheme 
called  a  shipka,  and  to  the  natives  said,  bulchoi  flotska 
(a  large  boat).  Then  having  learned  the  Yakut  word 
for  ice,  namely,  boos,  I  explained  that  it  had  crushed 
the  ship  and  she  had  sunk.  Yapheme  comprehended 
quite  readily,  but  the  natives  were  not  so  bright,  and 
after  a  long  confabulation  between  the  two,  I  made  use 
of  a  large  piece  of  wood,  calling  it  the  shipka.  On  this 
I  placed  four  smaller  sticks,  viatkas  or  malinki  flotskas 
(little  boats),  and  thirty-three  chips  as  the  crew.  I  next 
put  the  table  in  motion  to  illustrate  the  rolling  sea,  which 
they  called  the  byral  (sea),  and  showed  how  the  boos 
byral  (sea  ice)  had  come  in  on  the  ship.  Then  with  a 
great  agitation  of  the  table  I  spilled  the  boats  and  men 
from  the  ship,  and  threw  the  latter,  along  with  a 
malinki  flotska,  under  the  table,  to  represent  how  it 
had  gone  under  the  ice.  All  appeared  to  be  enlightened 
by  my  pantomime,  and  the  "  ohs,"  "  ahs,"  and  sighs  of 
men  and  women,  expressed  their  sorrow  and  pity.  I 
then  told  off  eleven  sticks  as  my  crew,  and  put  them  on 
board  one  of  the  three  remaining  boats  ;  the  other  two 
being  assigned  thirteen  and  nineteen  sticks  respectively. 
Advancing  all  three  for  many  days  and  sleeps,  I  next 
blew  a  gale  of  wind,  and  amid  its  roar,  or  poorga,  and 


EXTERIOR    AND    INTERIOR    OF    EXILE     HOUSES    IN    SIBERIA. 


AT  JAMAVELOCH.  113 

the  surging  of  the  byral,  rolled  over  two  of  the  boats  and 
dashed  them  under  the  table.  But  one  malinki  flotsha 
remained,  and  once  more  telling  off  myself  and  men  as 
the  sticks,  I  finally  moored  our  boat  at  Jamaveloch,  the 
name  of  the  village. 

The  women  seemed  very  much  affected  by  the  story, 
and  examined  our  frozen  limbs,  shaking  their  heads  in 
compassion,  and  even  weeping  over  our  miseries.  After 
dinner,  Nicolai  gave  us  each  a  leaf  of  tobacco,  quite  a 
windfall  to  those  who  used  it.  I  did  not ;  but  I  heard 
some  of  the  men  remark  that  it  was  the  vilest  stuff  they 
had  ever  smoked,  not  excepting  the  tea  leaves  and  coffee 
grounds  they  had  used  on  the  march.  So  now  we  con- 
tinued the  custom  of  drying  our  tea  leaves  for  those  who 
desired  to  smoke  them,  much  to  the  astonishment  of  the 
natives,  who  cut  up  about  equal  quantities  of  wood  or  bark 
with  their  tobacco.  Our  large  pipes  likewise  occasioned 
them  surprise,  theirs  being  very  small,  and  similar  in 
shape  to  the  Japanese  tobacco-pipe,  the  bowl  holding  a 
ball  of  tobacco  about  the  size  of  a  large  green  pea.  The 
smoke  ended,  we  all  lay  down  to  a  good  sleep,  the  house 
being  darkened  for  that  purpose  by  placing  boards  against 
the  inside  of  the  ice-glazed  windows.  Some  of  us  slept  on 
the  berth-places,  others  stretched  themselves  on  the  floor 
in  or  on  their  sleeping-bags,  and  were  soon  snoring  peace- 
fully. We,  however,  whose  limbs  were  frozen  so  badly, 
found  no  "  balmy,"  for  each  beat  of  the  heart  forced  the 
blood  in  vigorous  and  painful  circulation  through  our 
throbbing  flesh.  At  dusk  we  all  either  awoke,  or  were 
awakened  by  the  natives  preparing  our  supper.  The  in- 
variable beverage  of  tea  was  handed  around,  and  Mrs. 
Chagra,  assisted  by  some  of  her  female  friends,  put  on  a 
large  kettle  of  ancient  but  hardy  geese,  which  had  long 
and  honorably  served  the  natives  in  raising  numerous 
progeny  of  their  kind.  But  they  had  been  slaughtered 
during  the  summer,  when  in  pin-feather,  and  hung  in 


114  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

pairs,  with  their  bills  interlocked,  across  a  pole  out  of  the 
reach  of  dogs  and  foxes,  and  as  they  had  neither  been 
plucked  nor  dressed,  the  juices  of  their  poor  bodies  nat- 
urally gathered  at  the  extremities  ;  hence,  ere  freezing 
weather  set  in,  the  dead  geese  had  generated  another  and 
more  prolific  family  within  themselves.  So  when  such 
are  heated  for  the  purpose  of  cleaning,  the  natives  are 
usually  saved  the  trouble  of  opening  them,  for  the  whole 
after-part  of  the  fowl  drops  out  of  its  own  accord,  — 
anything  but  a  pleasing  sight  to  contemplate,  particu- 
larly if  the  agony,  or  inside,  be  long  drawn  out.  Still  we 
ate  of  the  boiled  geese,  and  heartily. 

Before  retiring  for  the  night  Nicolai  Chagra  prepared 
a  number  of  small  wax  tapers  and  arranged  them  in  front 
of  the  icons.  I  speak  in  the  plural,  for  he  had  a  row 
of  them  facing  the  south,  placed  on  a  little  shelf  in  the 
northwest  corner  of  the  house.  They  were  brass  images, 
ranging  in  size  from  one  to  four  and  a  half  inches  square; 
some  being  merely  heads  of  particular  saints,  others, 
groups  of  three  or  more  figures,  crucifixes,  medals,  plain 
crosses,  etc.,  such  as  the  Greek  priests  sell  or  trade  to  the 
Yakuts.  The  tapers  lighted,  their  ends  having  been 
melted  and  so  stuck  on  the  shelf,  all  the  natives,  old 
and  young,  with  the  women  in  the  background,  fell  into 
line  and  went  through  their  devotions,  apparently  with 
some  extras  in  honor  of  our  safety.  The  service  con- 
sisted in  multiform  genuflections,  bowings  and  crossings, 
with  long  pauses  between,  during  which  they  fixed  their 
eyes  on  the  ground  as  though  in  rapt  meditation,  and  at 
times  they  prostrated  themselves,  kissing  the  floor,  and 
touching  their  foreheads;  but  they  uttered  no  audible 
prayer. 

When  it  was  over,  they  all  fell  back  as  though  to  give 
us  a  chance,  and  Chagra,  bowing  towards  me,  waved 
with  his  hand  an  invitation  to  myself  and  people  to  fol- 
low them  in  the  service.     I  thought  he  looked  a  little 


AT  JAMAVELOCH.  115 

disappointed  at  our  not  accepting,  and  so,  to  avoid  giving 
offense,  requested  the  crew  to  go  through  the  motions. 
Jack  Cole,  whose  honest  good  spirits  were  always  redun- 
dant, vociferated  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  much  as  though 
he  were  calling  a  watch  to  duty,  — 

"  Come,  fellows,  all  o'  ye,  and  say  yer  prayers  !  " 

Whereupon,  followed  by  many  of  the  men,  he  took 
the  lead  in  the  performance  of  an  entirely  original  cere- 
mony. Nicolai  then  extinguished  the  tapers,  and  we  all 
turned  in;  some  of  us,  as  before,  on  berths  arranged 
around  the  room,  and  the  rest  using  the  floor  as  a  com- 
mon bed  with  the  natives,  inclusive  of  our  pilots  and  the 
Russian  exile,  Yapheme  Copaloff,  who  had  apparently  at- 
tached himself,  unasked,  to  my  party,  as  guide,  counselor, 
and  friend.  It  was  evident  that  he  regarded  himself  as 
quite  the  superior  of  the  natives,  although  dependent 
upon  them,  at  times,  for  food,  shelter,  and  clothing ;  yet, 
as  the  white  man,  American  or  European,  usually  does, 
he  had  assumed  a  lofty  air,  and  the  natives  were  forced  to 
bow  to  it. 

A  description  of  Chagra's  hut,  the  best  in  the  village 
of  Jamaveloch,  will  be  a  fair  example  of  the  finest  of 
that  class  of  permanent  dwellings,  commonly  known  as 
lalogans  or  yaurtas,  on  the  Lena  Delta,  and  throughout 
the  districts  of  Yakutsk  and  Verkeransk. 

The  main  or  inhabited  portion  of  the  building  is  rec- 
tangular in  shape,  and  built  of  hewn  timber,  the  base  di- 
mensions being  about  twenty-four  by  sixteen  feet.  The 
timber  is  placed  on  end  in  the  earth  without  sills,  all 
four  sides  leaning  inward  about  ten  degrees  out  of  the 
perpendicular ;  or  when  the  height  of  the  hut  inside  is, 
say,  eight  feet  in  the  clear,  a  plumb  line  dropped  from 
the  top  would  fall  about  two  feet  from  the  side  of  the  hut 
near  the  floor.  The  timber  is  neatly  hewn  and  squared 
down  to  seven  inches  in  thickness,  the  width  varying 
from  seven  to  seventeen  inches,  and  placed  together  as 


116  IN  THE  LENA  DELTA. 

tight  as  possible,  the  joints  appearing  remarkably  close 
indeed,  when  the  rude  implements  of  the  natives  are 
considered.  These  consist  alone  of  a  "  pod-bit ;  "  a  very 
rank-angled  chopping  axe  with  a  handle  not  more  than 
twenty  inches  long;  and  a  two-handled  drawing-knife 
curved  to  a  radius  of  about  three  inches,  —  the  saw  being 
a  tool  unknown  to  them. 

Horizontal  sills  or  plates  are  laid  on  top  of  the  inclined 
sides  of  the  hut,  and  on  these  in  turn  a  girder,  seven  in- 
ches thick  and  twelve  inches  wide,  is  placed  transversely 
of  the  structure,  and  midway  between  the  front  and 
rear.  A  stanchion  resting  on  a  block  in  the  centre  of  the 
floor  runs  up  through  the  hut  and  supports  the  girder, 
and  for  the  matter  of  that,  the  roof  too,  which  is  formed 
of  hewn  timber  such  as  the  sides  are  built  of.  These 
rest  on  the  front  and  rear  plates,  or  stringers,  abutting 
together  on  the  central  girder,  and  so  giving  a  slight 
pitch  to  the  roof ;  and  the  seams  in  the  whole  structure 
are  caulked  with  reindeer  moss.  A  low  door,  three  feet 
high  by  two  feet  wide,  is  cut  in  one  end,  and  the  sill  raised 
about  two  feet  above  the  ground,  to  keep  out  the  cold  air. 
On  each  side  are  cut  two  windows  eighteen  inches  square, 
and  occasionally  one  window  of  similar  size  is  cut  in  the 
rear.  The  chimney  and  fire-place  are  located  in  a  direct 
line  midway  between  the  centres  of  the  roof-ridge  and 
door,  facing  the  rear.  The  fire-place  is  made  of  -a  box 
sixteen  or  twenty  inches  high  and  four  feet  square,  back 
of  which  is  the  chimney,  woven  of  wattles  and  small 
round  timber,  its  projection  being  supported  by  two  knee- 
pieces  like  those  used  in  boat  building.  These  also  an- 
swer as  supports  for  a  small  mantel-shelf  and  the  upper 
end  of  a  rude  wooden  crane,  by  means  of  which  the  na- 
tives swing  their  large  kettles  over  the  fire.  The  entire 
chimney  and  fire-place  are  coated  with  a  fine  sedimentary 
clay,  dug  from  the  pond  bottoms,  and  gradually  baked 
until   thoroughly  hardened.     The  box,   which   is   filled 


AT  JAMAVELOCH.  117 

with  earth,  may  either  be  pinned  together,  or,  as  is  often 
the  case,  the  four  corners  may  be  held  in  place  by  eight 
stout  stakes  driven  well  into  the  ground. 

All  well-built  huts  are  floored  with  slabs,  split  with 
wooden  wedges.  The  interior  arrangements  are  as  fol- 
lows :  A  low  "  transom  "  or  bench,  raised  about  eighteen 
inches  above  the  floor,  runs  around  three  sides  of  the 
room,  but  not  around  that  in  which  the  door  is  cut.  It 
is  about  two  and  a  half  feet  wide,  used  as  a  bench  dur- 
ing the  day  and  converted  into  sleeping  berths  at  night ; 
for  it  is  divided  off  by  partitions,  usually  three  or  four 
feet  high,  though  now  and  then  reaching  to  the  ceiling. 
At  the  end  opposite  the  door  are  two  berths,  and  along 
either  side  there  are  three,  making  eight  berths  in  all, 
and  when  they  are  double  or  intended  for  the  accommo- 
dation of  two  sleepers,  a  small  ledge-piece,  which  swings 
out  on  hinges  made  of  thongs  and  is  supported  by  several 
small  sticks,  can  be  readily  adjusted  at  night  and  let 
down  during  the  day.  The  location  of  the  huts  is  not 
determined  by  any  rule  of  compass  or  sun,  but  they  are 
here  and  there  situated  with  their  backs  to  the  prevailing 
wind ;  although  this  caution  is  by  no  means  generally 
observed,  and  I  noticed  no  regularity  in  the  facing  of  huts 
in  any  village,  those  set  across  the  wind  appearing  as 
stable  as  the  others.  The  disposition  of  berths,  however, 
I  found  the  same  in  all  parts  of  the  Delta  and  north- 
eastern Siberia.  As  viewed  from  the  door,  the  rear  right 
hand  corner  is  invariably  occupied  by  the  host  and  his 
wife ;  the  one  opposite  in  the  left  hand  corner  is  always 
set  apart  as  the  guest  chamber,  and  over  it  is  the  shelf 
of  gods  or  icons.  The  three  berths  ranging  along  the 
right  hand  side  of  the  hut  are  devoted  to  the  use  of 
the  immediate  family,  the  married  sons  and  their  wives 
being  next  or  near  to  their  parents  according  to  age  or 
other  condition.  On  the  left,  the  near  relatives  start  in 
at  the  berth  below  the  guest  chamber,  commencing  with 


118  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

the  senior  aunt  or  uncle,  and  terminating  at  the  door 
with  the  stranger  or  dependent.  In  all  huts  there  are 
little  spaces  of  four  or  five  feet  between  the  last  berths 
on  either  side  and  the  front  end.  On  the  right  this 
space  is  where  the  pots,  kettles,  and  other  culinary  uten- 
sils ai*e  kept ;  on  the  left  a  small  supply  of  dry  wood  is 
stored  for  kindling  and  bad  weather.  Extending  from 
side  to  side  of  the  hut,  and  suspended  by  thongs  in 
front  of  the  fire-place,  is  a  light  trestle-work,  made  of 
poles  and  slabs,  on  which  the  frozen  food  is  placed  to 
thaw,  and  likewise  the  fish  intended  for  the  dogs.  For 
the  latter  is  a  practice  always  observed  when  possible ; 
the  dogs,  in  cold  or  bad  weather,  being  furnished  with 
hot  food.  Narrow  shelves  fitted  over  the  berths  to  sup- 
port small  ornaments  ;  a  ditty  box  for  the  reception  of 
valuables,  such  as  needles  and  thread ;  a  tea-cup  or  other 
fancy  article,  and  several  small,  rudely  constructed  tables, 
compose  the  furniture  of  the  hut.  Feather  pillows  are 
quite  common  among  the  natives,  and  their  bed-clothing 
is  of  skin,  the  mattress  being  made  of  two,  three,  or  as 
many  reindeer  skins  as  the  prosperity  of  the  house  will 
permit.  In  almost  every  inhabited  hut  I  saw  one  or 
more  old  person,  male  or  female,  who  occupied  a  corner 
near  the  door ;  a  sort  of  "  granny,"  generally  blind,  al- 
ways miserable,  poor,  ragged,  and  dirty  —  living  on  the 
few  scraps  of  food  to  be  found  in  the  refuse  of  the  house- 
hold. I  never  could  learn  whether  this  personage  was 
a  parent  of  my  host  or  hostess,  who  would  only  observe 
that  he  or  she  was  one  of  the  old  and  poor.  At  any  rate 
these  aged  pensioners  of  either  sex  are  kept  constantly 
employed,  whether  blind  or  not,  manufacturing  and  re- 
pairing the  horse-hair  nets.  Blindness,  I  may  say,  is  a 
disease  peculiar  to  the  people  of  this  region.  Dr.  Ca- 
pello,  surgeon-general  of  the  district  under  the  command 
of  General  Tschernaieff,  informed  me  that  forty  per  cent. 
of  all  the  natives  north  of  Yakutsk  are  totally  blind,  and 


AT  JAMAVELOCH.  119 

sixty  per  cent,  are  partially  so,  or  have  lost  one  eye,  and 
I  cannot  remember  having  visited  any  hut  north  of  Ya- 
kutsk wherein  one  or  more  of  the  occupants  was  not  af- 
flicted with  some  affection  of  the  eye.  Syphilis  prevails 
to  an  awful  extent  among  them ;  and  by  their  mode  of 
washing,  which  consists  in  filling  their  mouths  with 
water,  spurting  it  into  the  hollow  of  their  hands,  and  then 
rubbing  their  faces,  they  manage  to  rub  into  their  eyes 
the  virus  from  their  diseased  mouths.  The  glare  of  the 
snow,  too,  their  filthy  habits,  and  the  smoky  atmosphere 
of  the  huts,  all  give  rise  to  or  aggravate  this  terrible  af- 
fliction. 

When  the  wooden  structure  is  finished,  a  row  of  up- 
right timber,  three  or  four  feet  high,  is  planted  around, 
and  about  two  feet,  from  it.  The  intermediate  space  is 
filled  in  with  earth  during  summer  and  trampled  down 
with  the  feet ;  and  finally  a  layer  of  soil  and  tundra  sods, 
a  foot  thick,  is  raised  up  to  and  on  top  of  the  hut,  being 
well  packed  and  tramped.  The  balogan  is  now  complete  ; 
in  shape,  a  frustrum  of  a  pyramid  of  rectangular  base, 
and,  in  external  appearance,  an  earth  mound  or  butte, 
from  which,  indeed,  it  can  only  be  distinguished  at  a  great 
distance  by  the  presence  of  smoke.  An  outer  apart- 
ment is  next  added  to  the  front  of  the  main  building, 
generally  of  the  same  width,  but  not  so  high,  and  only 
about  half  as  long  or  as  substantially  built.  At  right 
angles  to  it  is  a  still  smaller  and  frailer  structure,  fully 
strong  enough,  however,  to  withstand  the  gales,  and  sup- 
port the  snow,  which  during  the  winter  months  assuil  and 
envelop  it.  A  peculiarity  of  this  attachment  is,  that  it 
is  invariably  located  on  the  right  hand  side  of  the  outer 
building  as  one  enters  it. 

These  three  apartments  are  permanent  and  constitute 
the  habitation  proper,  but,  as  winter  approaches,  a  light, 
temporary  building  of  poles  is  erected,  and  covered  with 
snow.     It  is  taken  down  when  spring  opens,  and  stowed 


120  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

away  for  the  next  season.  I  have  seen  another  similar 
structure  intended  as  a  winter  lodge  for  the  dogs,  or 
bitches  with  pups,  and  in  which  they  were  fed  from  a 
log  trough.  These  two  are  only  built  when  the  ground 
is  covered  with  snow,  which  is  heaped  upon  them  with 
wooden  shovels,  and,  later  on,  the  natural  snow-fall  fills 
in  every  crevice.  The  first  outer  apartment  is  used  as 
a  general  store-room.  In  it  all  the  fur  clothing,  fishing 
gear,  dog  harness  and  sledge  equipment  are  kept ;  and 
here  the  visitor  deposits  his  outer  garments.  It  also  acts 
as  a  weather  porch  to  the  main  dwelling,  and,  at  times, 
the  fish  or  salted  fish-bellies,  which  are  traded  to  the 
Russians,  are  stored  therein.  The  smaller  attachment  to 
the  right,  entered  through  a  swinging  door,  is  used  as  a 
provision  store-room,  in  which  the  winter  food  supply  of 
venison,  fish,  or  geese,  and  all  furs  intended  for  trade,  are 
kept.  No  light  is  admitted  into  these  outer  buildings, 
unless,  perhaps,  it  be  through  a  sky-light  of  crystal-like 
ice  in  the  roof,  the  object  being  to  keep  them  always 
cool.  The  contrary  is,  of  course,  the  case  in  the  main  or 
living  apartment,  where  the  windows  are  glazed  with 
translucent  ice,  abundantly  collected  in  the  fall  and  re- 
served for  winter  use.  Considerable  light  shines  through, 
though,  to  be  sure,  outside  objects  are  not  visible ;  but 
the  heat  on  the  inside  during  the  day  gradually  destroys 
the  windows,  which  are  scraped  clean  every  morning 
with  a  little  iron  instrument  made  for  the  purpose.  For 
at  night,  when  the  fire  is  permitted  to  die  out,  a  coating  of 
rime  collects  on  the  inner  surface  of  the  ice -pane,  pro- 
duced by  the  exhalations  of  the  sleepers,  —  a  board  always 
being  placed  on  top  of  the  chimney  to  prevent  the  escape 
of  heat ;  and  I  have  seen  forty  persons  sleep  in  a  hut 
whose  dimensions  were  sixteen  by  twenty-four  feet,  and 
seven  feet  in  height.  The  glazing  operation  is  readily 
accomplished.  When  the  fresh- water  ponds  have  frozen 
to  a  depth  of  six  inches,  blocks  of  ice  are  cut  out  and  car- 


AT  JAMAVELOCH.  121 

ried  to  the  house-tops,  out  of  the  way  of  the  dogs.  So 
that,  now  a  window  requires  glazing,  the  old  melted  pane 
is  knocked  out  from  the  inside,  and  a  fresh  cake  of  ice, 
chopped  to  the  correct  size,  instantly  inserted ;  the  chinks 
being  "  puttied  "  in,  as  it  were,  on  the  outside  with  wet 
snow,  taken  from  a  ready  kettle  or  boiler,  and,  as  this 
freezes  immediately,  a  "  pane  of  ice "  eighteen  inches 
square  and  six  inches  thick  has  thus  been  set  in  a  few 
minutes.  Before  going  to  bed,  boards,  fitted  for  the  pur- 
pose, are  stood  in  the  window  places  to  protect  the  ice 
against  the  heat  of  the  hut ;  and  it  is  interesting  to  watch 
the  gradual  destruction  of  the  panes  by  the  currents  of 
warm  air,  governed  by  the  location  of  the  fire-place,  the 
depth  of  window  recess,  and  the  partition  of  berths. 
Slowly  they  melt  outward,  until,  finally,  the  blessed  day 
appears,  and  with  it  the  necessity  for  more  ice. 

Such  is  a  general  description  of  the  residence  of  Nico- 
lai  Chagra,  and,  with  slight  modifications,  of  the  hut  in 
which  myself  and  party  spent  the  thirty  days  following 
our  sudden  return  to  Jamaveloch. 

And  now,  to  revert.  We  awoke  the  next  morning 
(September  28th)  greatly  refreshed  by  our  night's  rest, 
and,  after  an  enlivening  application  of  cold  water  to  our 
heads  and  faces,  breakfasted  on  boiled  fish  and  the  ever- 
present  tea.  The  day  was  stormy,  but  I  made  Nicolai 
understand  that  we  must  proceed  at  once  to  Belun.  He 
expostulated  vehemently,  saying  that  the  poorga,  car, 
and  boos  (wind,  snow,  and  ice)  would  surely  cause  us  to 
perish.  Hobbling  outside,  I  took  a  look  at  the  weather. 
It  was  blowing  briskly,  and  the  heavy,  driving  clouds 
portended  a  gale  of  snow.  So  there  was  nothing  to  be 
done  but  await  a  lull,  and  it  came  sooner  than  I  expected. 
At  ten  o'clock  the  sun  shone  through  the  dark  masses  of 
vapor,  the  wind  sank  to  a  gentle  breeze,  and  presently  I 
had  hustled  Nicolai  Chagra  and  our  two  pilots  into  their 
canoes,  —  Yapheme,  "  The  Red  Fiend,"  accompanying  us 


122  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

in  the  whale-boat.  Nicolai  had  furnished  me  with  sixty 
fish  as  provisions,  besides  stowing  a  small  piece  of  venison 
in  his  own  canoe,  but  as  he  told  me  it  would  require  fif- 
teen sleeps  to  make  the  journey  to  Belun,  I  replied  that 
the  supply  of  fish  was  not  sufficient.  He  pointed  to  the 
nets  in  the  three  canoes,  signifying  that  fish  would  be 
caught  as  we  progressed,  and  I  was  satisfied,  remember- 
ing old  Vasilli's  faithful  catches.  Before  starting  I 
lightened  the  whale-boat  as  much  as  possible ;  present- 
ing to  Nicolai  one  of  the  tents  and  poles ;  an  empty  al- 
cohol keg  (having  poured  that  precious  fluid  into  the 
India-rubber  bottles  that  we  had  originally  filled  with 
water  and  lime-juice)  ;  our  large  axe,  and  some  other  ar- 
ticles. At  last,  when  the  natives  had  kissed  each  other 
good-by  after  an  unusual  amount  of  "hoodooing"  before 
their  fetiches,  and  our  cripples  were  limping  to  the  river 
and  into  the  boat,  Leach,  whose  feet  were  shockingly 
frozen,  begged  to  be  left  behind,  saying  that  he  would 
rather  stay  at  Jamaveloch  than  risk  the  chances  ahead. 
He  and  Lauterbach  had  lost  all  spirit ;  but  it  was  at 
Leach's  rapid  and  sudden  change  from  cheerfulness  to 
despondency  that  I  was  more  astonished.  Of  course,  I 
would  not  listen  to  his  entreaties ;  so,  very  reluctantly, 
he  embarked  with  the  rest. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

SIBERIAN  LIFE. 

Balked  again.  —  The  "Balogan  Americanski."  — A  Row  with  the 
Starosti.  —  Catching  Fish.  —  Deer  and  Geese  Hunting. 

Followed  by  the  hearty  well-wishes  of  the  villagers 
and  the  tearful  remonstrances  of  Mrs.  Nicolai  Chagra,  we 
set  out  upon  the  river  under  oars  or  sail,  as  best  we 
could,  with  the  canoes  leading  the  way.  Shortly  after 
starting  we  came  up  with  young  ice  running  in  compact 
streams;  and  the  wind  increased  until  the  boat  was  al- 
most unmanageable.  Our  pilots  had  changed  their  course 
in  order  to  round  a  point  of  land,  and  so  gave  us  a  dead 
pull  to  windward,  which,  in  our  lamed  condition,  was  no 
child's  play.  The  boat  was  loaded  down  to  its  utmost 
capacity,  and  grounded  repeatedly  on  the  shoals,  making 
several  narrow  escapes  from  capsizing,  while  the  seas 
rolled  over  us.  Presently  the  natives  became  frightened 
at  the  surrounding  ice,  and  seeing  how  fast  we  were  bail- 
ing and  the  utter  impossibility  of  our  gaining  any  head- 
way, motioned  me  to  turn  back,  they  having  already 
cleared  the  shoals  into  deep  water  and  started  on  their 
journey  home.  However  anxious  I  was  to  reach  Belun, 
it  was  now  imperative  that  I  be  cautious  in  my  actions 
and  not  risk  the  lives  of  those  intrusted  to  my  care,  for, 
should  the  river  freeze  us  in  between  Jamaveloch  and 
Belun,  the  probabilities  were  that  a  majority  would  per- 
ish from  cold  and  starvation,  since  but  two  or  three  in 
the  party  could  walk,  and  even  their  powers  of  endur- 
ance were  very  much  reduced.     Besides  this,  and  the  al- 


124  IN    THE  LENA   DELTA. 

most  insurmountable  difficulties  of  navigation,  how  could 
I  proceed  forward  without  the  natives  ? 

So,  back  we  turned,  and  in  less  than  an  hour  were 
again  at  the  village.  The  inhabitants  were  out  to  greet 
us,  and,  when  the  lame  had  scrambled  up  the  steep  bank 
and  the  boat  had  been  discharged,  the  natives  urged  me 
to  haul  it  out  on  land.  This  I,  at  first,  refused  to  do, 
still  hoping  to  make  the  passage  to  Belun  in  the  boat, 
and  fearing  that  by  careless  handling  they  might  further 
damage  it,  for  it  was  already  in  a  sorry  condition,  leaky 
and  rickety.  Still,  gathering  from  their  vigorous  talk 
and  pantomime  that  they  feared  the  wind  and  ice  would 
carry  it  out  to  sea,  I  finally  consented,  and  the  sequel 
proved  the  soundness  of  their  advice.  So  I  witnessed 
the  operation,  sitting  with  Leach  and  Lauterbach,  be- 
cause of  our  infirmity,  on  dog-sleds,  and  when  it  was 
over  we  were  all  conducted  to  the  hut  of  one  Gabrillo 
Passhin,  a  deer-hunter,  pending  the  preparation  of  our 
new  quarters,  —  a  vacant  hut  which  was  put  in  order  for 
our  reception,  and  into  which  we  shortly  moved.  And 
it  was  while  storing  our  boat  gear  and  equipment  of  all 
kinds  in  the  outer  apartment  that,  very  much  to  my  cha- 
grin, I  found  that  the  bag  containing  the  sixty  fish  for 
our  journey  had  been  captured  by  Nicolai  Chagra. 

And  now  for  the  present  we  were  dependent  for  food 
upon  the  generosity  of  the  natives.  Our  hut,  though 
airy  and  the  chimney  smoky,  was  still,  withal,  in  a  fair 
condition  ;  and  I  portioned  off  the  space  as  equally  as 
possible,  making  such  regulations  for  the  government  of 
the  men  as  seemed  to  me  indispensable  to  their  health 
and  comfort.  Of  the  seven  double  berths  in  the  hut,  five 
were  each  occupied  by  two  men  ;  Danenhower  and  my- 
self sleeping  singly  in  the  remaining  pair,  for  by  the  ad- 
dition of  the  "  Red  Fiend "  my  party  now  numbered 
twelve.  I  divided  the  men  into  two  daily  reliefs  for  car- 
rying wood  and  water,  or  ice,   of  which  there  was  an 


SIBERIAN  LIFE.  125 

abundance  on  the  island  or  along  its  shores.  It  was  out 
of  the  question  for  Leach  to  perform  any  duty,  and  I 
also  excused  Messrs.  Danenhower  and  Newcomb,  since 
there  was  little  or  nothing  to  be  done  beyond  the  taking 
of  judicious  exercise.  The  office  of  cook  was  filled  by 
the  men  best  able  to  walk  about  and  carry  wood  ;  Char- 
ley Tong  Sing,  the  steward,  doing  duty  the  first  week, 
and  Manson,  Wilson,  and  others  succeeding  him.  I  as- 
sembled the  crew  and  reminded  them  of  the  circum- 
stances under  which  we  were  placed.  How  after  a  long 
march  we  were  now  nearly  naked,  and  entirely  subject 
to  the  bounty  of  the  natives  for  what  little  food  we  might 
obtain,  and,  as  we  would  doubtless  be  obliged  to  stay 
there  for  some  time  to  come,  the  wisdom  and  necessity 
of  conducting  ourselves  in  a  peaceable  manner  must  be 
patent  to  all.  Then,  too,  after  our  hardships,  there  was 
danger  of  scurvy  or  other  sickness  breaking  out  among 
us,  and  the  only  way  to  contend  against  this  was  to  live 
as  we  had  before,  in  good  fellowship,  keeping  as  bright 
and  cheerful,  and  as  dry  and  warm,  as  possible,  con- 
stantly exercising  without  fatiguing  ourselves  ;  and  when 
the  river  had  frozen  over  an  effort  would  instantly  be 
made  to  communicate  with  Belun. 

Nicolai  Chagra  daily  furnished  us  with  four  fish, 
weighing  in  all  about  sixteen  pounds,  and  of  these  we 
made  a  long  soup,  that  is,  a  soup  economically  lengthened 
out  with  water.  I  still  adhered  to  my  old  plan  of  equally 
distributing  the  contents  of  the  kettle  in  pans,  and  so  in- 
sured a  fair  division  of  our  food ;  although  it  was  amus- 
ing at  times  to  see  two  persons  seize  the  same  pan  and 
struggle  over  it,  until,  through  feebleness  or  complaisance, 
either  surrendered ;  or  to  watch  those  who,  their  hunger 
overcoming  their  manliness,  would,  with  a  watery  mouth 
and  rapt  eye,  gaze  on  the  pans  in  process  of  filling,  edg- 
ing their  way  the  while  towards  the  one  they  accounted 
the  largest,  and  at  the  word  "  Go ! "  grab  it  triumphantly. 


126  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

Yapheme  took  his  soup  and  fish  along  with  the  rest  of 
us,  and  we  led  a  comparatively  happy  life  in  our  "  Ba- 
logan  Americanski  "  (American  House).  Beyond  the 
petty  tiffs  growing  out  of  arguments,  in  which,  as  is  gen- 
erally true,  there  was  more  talk  than  logic,  little  or  no 
quarreling  occurred  among  the  crew.  And  their  discus- 
sions usually  ended  in  a  loud  guffaw  at  some  happy  hit 
made  by  a  party  to  the  argument. 

Yapheme  taught  us  the  Russian  and  Yakut  languages, 
and  acted  as  our  interpreter.  The  men  constructed 
checker-boards  and  chessmen  and  repaired  their  cloth- 
ing. The  first  night  in  our  new  hut  I  drew  up  a  letter 
to  the  officer  commanding  the  district,  outlining  the  cir- 
cumstances which  had  brought  us  to  Jamaveloch  and  re- 
questing him  to  forward  a  copy  of  my  letter  to  the 
American  minister  at  St.  Petersburg.  Copies  were  writ- 
ten in  French,  German,  and  Swedish ;  and  a  few  old 
letters  or  envelopes  belonging  to  some  members  of  the 
party  being  added  as  proof  of  our  identity,  all  were  done 
up  in  a  package,  and  then  securely  sewed  within  an  oil- 
skin bag,  cut  from  an  old  piece  of  clothing.  Mr.  Danen- 
hower  and  myself  walked  over  to  the  starosti's  hut,  and 
impressed  him  with  the  importance  of  dispatching  the 
package  at  once  to  the  Commandant  at  Belun.  He  un- 
derstood, and  promised  to  send  it  as  soon  as  possible ;  and, 
in  order  to  urge  him  to  action,  the  package  was  sewed  up 
in  his  presence  by  his  wife.  He  then  told  us  that  it 
would  be  ten  or  fifteen  days  before  the  bay  could  be 
crossed  in  safety.  A  light  fall  of  snow  had  occurred  dur- 
ing the  night,  and  the  river,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach, 
was  covered  with  ice,  save  in  mid-channel  and  a  few 
spots.  I  now  knew  why  the  natives  were  so  anxious  for 
us  to  haul  the  whale-boat  out  on  the  bank  above  the 
river.  I  had  supposed  they  dreaded  a  storm  ;  but  it  was 
for  fear  the  boat  would  be  frozen  in,  and  then  a  storm 
coming  on  would  break  up  the  ice  and  carry  it  out  to  sea. 


SIBERIAN  LIFE.  127 

So  now  there  was  nothing  else  to  be  done.  Mrs. 
Chagra  gave  us  some  fish  to  eat,  and  we  trudged  back  to 
our  hut  to  await  the  solid  freezing  of  the  bay. 

At  this  time  our  situation  seemed  very  uncertain  to 
me.  We  had  not  yet  become  fully  acquainted  with  the 
temper  of  the  natives,  about  whom  very  little  was  written 
or  known.  On  board  ship  there  had  been  a  record  of  a 
Russian  officer,  who,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  thirty 
or  more  Cossacks,  had  attempted  to  winter  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Lena;  but  who,  although  bountifully  supplied 
with  food,  and  in  full  communication  with  the  natives, 
had,  with  his  whole  party,  perished  of  scurvy.  What 
then  was  the  outlook  for  us,  who  had  already  accom- 
plished a  wonderful  retreat,  and  who,  utterly  worn  out, 
lame  and  half  -  famished,  were  now  living  on  decayed 
geese  and  a  very  limited  supply  of  fish  ?  We  certainly 
could  not  exist  through  the  winter  at  Jamaveloch ;  for, 
should  scurvy,  perchance,  favor  us  with  its  absence,  I  felt 
confident  that  either  typhoid  fever  or  poisoning,  as  a 
result  of  the  food  we  were  eating,  would  break  out 
among  us. 

We  possessed  but  very  few  articles  to  barter  away  to 
the  natives,  and  they,  indeed,  could  spare  as  few  as  we. 
Our  clothing  was  worn  out,  and  we  repaired  it  by  sewing 
patch  on  patch.  Soaking  our  swollen  limbs  in  warm 
water  we  soon  found  to  be  a  pleasant,  temporary  relief 
from  pain.  The  frost-bite  and  sores  healed  rapidly,  the 
swelling  subsided,  and  to  my  great  delight  we  all  gained 
in  strength  and  happiness  —  all  save  Leach,  from  whose 
toes  the  flesh  had  wasted  away,  exposing  the  bones.  Gan- 
grene had  apparently  set  in,  and  if  they  were  neglected 
for  a  day  the  odor  was  unbearable.  Bartlett  was  his 
constant  attendant ;  daily  preparing  a  kettle  of  hot  water 
in  which  he  bathed  and  cleaned  the  sores,  and,  with  a 
jack-knife  in  hand,  pai'ed  away  the  flesh  in  a  masterly 
manner.     But  at  this  time  Leach  seemed  ill  all  over. 


128  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

He  had  lost  heart,  and  said  he  did  not  care  whether 
school  kept  in  or  not.  Although  a  brilliant  fire  was  con- 
tinually burning,  and  he  sat  so  close  to  it  that  his  jacket 
blazed,  he  yet  complained  of  the  cold,  and  when  told  that 
he  was  on  fire  said  that  it  made  no  difference  to  him,  he 
would  get  another  jacket.  Indeed,  to  all  appearances  it 
was  quite  an  effort  for  him  to  tolerate  the  kind  attentions 
of  "Dr."  Bartlett. 

Thus  our  daily  routine  ran  on.  The  geese,  which  com- 
prised one  of  our  two  meals  per  day,  had  been  killed 
during  the  summer  while  nesting,  and  as  a  consequence 
were  inordinately  poor  and  proportionately  tough.  Yet 
if  this  had  been  all,  our  food  had  been  agreeable;  but,  as 
I  have  mentioned  elsewhere,  the  geese,  which  tide  the 
natives  over  the  hard  times  they  experience  between  the 
going  of  the  deer  and  the  coming  of  the  fish  season, 
though  dead,  are  often  found  to  be  alive  again,  and  any- 
thing but  pleasant  to  the  taste.  It  was  Bartlett's  daily 
duty  to  obtain  our  supply  of  four  geese  and  four  fish  from 
Nicolai  Chagra,  and  we  had  been  living  on  good  terms 
with  our  dusky  neighbors,  until,  one  morning  going  as 
usual  on  his  honest  errand,  Bartlett  was  surprised  to 
have  Chagra  hand  him  three  instead  of  four  fish  for  our 
breakfast.  Of  course,  he  remonstrated,  when  Chagra, 
after  considerable  talk  and  gesticulation  threw,  in  great 
anger,  a  partially  rotten  goose  at  Bartlett ;  who,  there- 
upon, in  good  American  style,  sprang  at  the  repentant 
starosti  and  chased  him  through  the  village.  We  now 
received  information  that  fish,  and,  indeed,  food  of  any 
kind,  was  very  scarce  in  the  village,  and  there  was  danger 
of  our  supplies  being  entirely  cut  off.  Yapheme  cau- 
tioned us  against  bartering  away  with  too  liberal  a  hand 
our  small  store  of  articles ;  but  what  I  most  feared  was 
that  the  natives,  being  somewhat  wandering  in  their 
habits,  might,  unknown  to  us,  fold  their  tents  like  the 
Arabs,  and  as  silently  steal  away  in  the  night,  and  so 


SIBERIAN  LIFE.  129 

leave  us  in  the  lurch.  For  after  all,  whether  by  barter- 
ing or  not,  we  must  depend  upon  them  for  our  food,  and 
when  none  was  left,  they  doubtless  would  travel  from 
place  to  place  in  search  of  some;  eventually,  perhaps, 
quartering  themselves  on  their  more  fortunate  neighbors, 
the  men,  women,  and  children  lightening  the  burdens  of 
their  friends  by  assisting  them  to  fish  and  make  nets. 

Meanwhile  the  "  Red  Fiend  "  continued  to  instruct  us 
in  the  mysteries  of  the  Russian  and  Yakut  tongues,  with 
which  we  all  became  more  or  less  familiar.  Iniguin,  our 
North  American  Indian  from  Norton  Sound,  was  quite  a 
curiosity  to  the  villagers,  and  at  once  sprang  in  great 
favor,  when  it  was  made  known  that  he,  too,  had  been 
nomadic  like  themselves.  They  were  Tunguses,  they 
said,  and  we  informed  them  that  Iniguin  was  an  American 
Tunguse;  and  soon  he  was  visiting  around  among  his 
copper-colored  brethren  and  sisters,  who  began  straight- 
way to  make  and  repair  his  moccasins  and  clothing  ; 
until,  finally,  it  was  noised  around  that  Iniguin  had 
found  a  sweetheart  in  the  village,  which  he  blushingly 
acknowledged,  and,  in  praising  her  good  qualities,  said, 
"  Him  plenty  good  little  old  woman." 

In  daily  visiting  the  edge  of  the  bay  to  test  the 
strength  of  the  ice  ;  in  spinning  yarns  ;  in  speculating 
on  the  fate  of  the  first  and  second  cutters,  and  the  length 
of  our  detention  at  Jamaveloch  —  thus  we  passed  the 
tardy  hours.  Some  of  the  men  would  go  down  to  the 
shore  and  watch  the  natives  hauling  in  their  nets ;  and, 
as  the  fish  became  more  plentiful,  would  augment  our 
scanty  supply  —  no  matter  how. 

And,  while  on  the  subject  of  fishing,  I  will  enlighten, 
in  a  very  few  words,  those  of  poor  De  Long's  critics  who, 
I  have  noticed,  wonder  why  "  the  fool  did  not  catch  fish, 
in  which  the  rivers  abound  ?  "  The  fact  is,  that  he  did 
try  to  catch  fish  with  the  only  means  he  had  at  hand  — 
hook  and  lines,  which  I  recovered  and  brought  back  to 


130  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

the  United  States.  But  fish  are  by  no  means  procurable 
in  the  Lena  River  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  and  when 
they  are  (for  a  couple  of  brief  months)  the  natives  take 
them  entirely  by  nets,  not  knowing,  indeed,  what  a  hook 
or  line  is.  It  would  have  been  manifestly  out  of  the 
question  for  us  to  have  burdened  ourselves  on  the  march 
with  a  net  or  nets,  and  hence  it  should  be  plain  to  the 
reflecting  reader  why  De  Long  and  his  party  did  not  sub- 
sist on  fish. 

It  is  not  until  October,  when  the  ice  covers  the  bay, 
that  the  fishing  season  sets  fully  in.  Then  the  finny 
tribes  run  as  elsewhere,  ascending  the  rivers  to  spawn 
and  descending  later  on.  The  nets  are  made  entirely  of 
white  horse-hair,  white  manes  and  tails  forming  a  large 
proportion  of  the  stock  of  the  few  traders,  —  the  natives 
preferring  the  white  since  it  is  not  so  readily  seen  by  the 
fish.  Their  net-making  is  one  of  the  most  tedious  pro- 
cesses imaginable  ;  and  at  it  the  women,  old  and  young, 
and  the  blind  stranger  or  other  pensioner  who  sits  wea- 
rily behind  the  chimney-place,  are  almost  constantly  em- 
ployed. The  first  operation  consists  in  pulling  out  five, 
seven,  or  nine  hairs,  and  "  fairing  "  the  ends  at  the  roots, 
which  the  blind  accomplish  by  pressing  them  ngainst  the 
tongue  and  so  tying  the  knots.  After  which,  during  a 
second  handling,  they  are  twisted  into  a  strand,  and  then 
knotted  by  short  pieces  into  the  net,  a  small  stick  serving 
for  the  size  of  the  mesh,  but  no  needle  being  used  to  pass 
the  strand,  as  the  custom  is  with  our  fishermen.  I  no- 
ticed that  the  tongue  and  teeth  play  a  prominent  part  in 
the  knotting  or  weaving  of  their  nets  ;  which,  when  fin- 
ished have  from  a  two-and-a-half  to  a  three-and-a-half 
inch  mesh;  are  from  a  fathom  to  a  fathom  and  a  half 
deep;  and  are  from  fifteen  to  twenty  fathoms  long.  The 
top  lines  are  kept  afloat  by  means  of  light  wooden  buoys ; 
and  the  bottoms  are  held  down  by  a  series  of  weighted 
hoops,  six  inches  in  diameter,  made  of  wood,  split  in  two, 


SIBERIAN  LIFE.  131 

after  the  manner  of  cane  -  seating  for  chairs  ;  and  to 
which,  when  twisted  into  shape,  and  neatly  sewed  with 
flexible  rushes,  stones  are  fastened.  The  idea  is  to  keep 
the  nets  free  of  the  mud  while  the  floats  preserve  them 
in  a  vertical  position. 

When  a  net  is  to  be  set  after  strong  ice  has  formed,  a 
row  of  holes  is  cut  across  the  proper  channel,  and  a  long 
pole  is  pushed  under  the  ice  from  hole  to  hole,  carrying 
with  it  a  horse-hair  rope  a  little  longer  than  the  net,  the 
length  of  which  is  consequently  less,  by  a  couple  of  fath- 
oms, than  the  distance  apart  of  the  extreme  holes.  Then 
by  hauling  through  the  rope,  and  paying  out  the  net, 
until  it  is  all  under  the  ice,  the  ends  being  fastened  to 
stakes,  the  net  is  set  and  ready  to  capture  the  fish  in  its 
meshes.  The  middle  and  intermediate  holes  are  now 
permitted  to  freeze  over ;  but  it  becomes  a  necessary  and 
most  arduous  duty  to  keep  open  those  at  either  end,  in 
order  to  haul  out  the  net,  which  is  done  every  morning 
and  night,  or,  if  the  fish  are  running  in  large  quantities, 
as  often  as  every  four  hours,  no  matter  how  low  the  tem- 
perature or  how  high  the  wind.  To  break  and  keep  open 
the  holes,  an  ice-pick  made  of  iron,  fitted  on  the  end  of  a 
short,  stout  pole,  is  used,  —  the  broken  ice  being  cast  out 
and  thrown  up  into  hills  by  means  of  an  oval-shaped 
wooden  sieve  attached  to  a  pole. 

The  natives  here,  and,  indeed,  all  along  the  coast  of 
Siberia,  live  upon  the  game  peculiar  to  each  season.  In 
the  spring-time  they  lie  in  their  canoes,  ambushed  under 
the  high  river  bank,  and  await  the  coming  of  the  rein- 
deer, which  have  favorite  crossing-places  on  their  annual 
migrations  to  the  north.  The  herd  marches  across  the 
tundra  until  the  water  edge  is  reached,  when  the  leader 
strikes  boldly  out  for  the  opposite  shore.  They  wade 
and  swim  unmolested  until  the  whole  herd  is  well  out  in 
the  stream,  and  then  the  hunters  dash  forth  in  numbers 
from  under  cover  of  the  bank,  each  armed  with  a  long 


132  IN  THE  LENA  DELTA. 

spear  or  lance,  which  rests  in  the  crotch  of  a  forked  deer- 
horn  placed  in  the  bow  of  the  canoe,  in  order  to  keep 
the  spear  in  readiness  and  protect  it,  as  well  as  the  oc- 
cupant, from  harm.  As  the  hunters  dash  whooping  and 
yelling  into  the  midst  of  the  herd,  the  deer  are  panic- 
stricken,  and,  losing  the  guidance  of  their  leader,  strike 
out  in  all  directions.  Although  excellent  swimmers,  the 
poor  animals,  which  can  fly  like  the  wind  over  the  smooth 
heath  or  tundra,  are  now  at  a  disadvantage  ;  for  the  na- 
tives are  in  their  most  congenial  element,  and,  nimbly 
plying  their  paddles,  dart  and  flash  about  from  one  vic- 
tim to  another,  working  quick  and  sad  havoc  among  the 
stately  drove  with  the  deadly  thrusts  of  their  lances. 
The  action  is  continued  while  a  living  deer  is  in  the 
water,  and,  when  there  is  none  left,  the  floating  carcasses 
are  towed  to  the  shore,  where  the  women  and  children, 
if  at  hand,  assist  in  cleaning  and  preparing  the  meat. 
Meanwhile  those  of  the  herd  which  escaped  injury  have 
scampered  away  in  safety  until  the  next  crossing  is 
reached  ;  while  the  fugitive  wounded  are  followed  up  by 
the  young  hunters  on  the  opposite  shore,  or  sometimes 
are  tracked  by  the  dogs. 

In  autumn,  when  the  herds  are  wending  their  way  to 
the  south,  the  slaughter  is  repeated,  and  thus  are  two 
seasons  of  the  hunting  year  filled  in,  during  which  the 
natives  are  comparatively  well  fed  ;  while  through  the 
summer  and  winter  they  rely  for  food  upon  the  fish  and 
geese.  These  latter  are  sometimes  killed  with  bow  and 
arrow.  Another  means  of  securing  them  consists  in  run- 
ning a  line  of  horse-hair  nooses  across  a  point  of  land  or 
convenient  place  frequented  by  the  geese.  These  nooses 
are  fastened  to  short,  flexible  rods  after  the  manner  of 
fishing-poles,  which  are  then  stuck  into  the  ground,  and 
the  snares  are  arranged  so  close  together  that  it  is  impos- 
sible for  the  game  to  thread  its  way  through  the  line  un- 
caught.     The  geese  settle  on  the  point  of  land  to  feed ; 


SIBERIAN  LIFE.  133 

whereupon  the  native  boy  or  woman  approaches  them, 
and  they  gradually  retreat  full  into  the  real  danger,  and 
the  nooses  tighten  around  their  necks,  until  the  whole 
flock  has  been  driven  through  the  line  of  poles  or  fright- 
ened away  by  the  fluttering  wings  of  the  captives,  which 
the  natives  soon  dispatch  with  heavy  sticks.  During  the 
nesting  season  the  eggs  are  also  gathered  in  large  quan- 
tities and  buried  in  the  earth  until  winter ;  their  state  of 
incubation,  howsoever  far  advanced,  mattering  but  little 
to  the  accommodating  taste  of  the  native,  who,  in  fact, 
makes  use  of  all  kinds  of  eggs  and  finds  no  fault  with 
the  fresh  ones.  And  though  when  eating  them  raw  the 
mere  presence  of  a  young  bird  in  the  shell  does  not  seem 
to  perturb  him,  yet  I  have  noticed  that  everywhere  he  is 
particular,  when  frying  his  eggs,  to  pick  out  the  yellow 
feathers  from  the  pan.  Yapheme  supplied  us  at  differ- 
ent times  with  these  eggs,  which  we  fried  in  the  ortho- 
dox American  style  —  sans  feathers.  There  was,  at  first, 
some  little  discussion  in  the  hut  as  to  the  propriety  of 
using  the  over-ripe  eggs,  but  I  finally  concluded  to  cook 
them  all  together ;  and  thus  the  identity  of  the  poor 
little  geese  was  lost  in  the  "  scramble." 


CHAPTER  X. 

KUSMA  TO  OUR  RESCUE. 

Incidents  in  our  Balogan.  —  Kusma.  —  Faithless  Spiridon. 

Many  were  our  projects,  at  one  time  or  another,  to 
make  forced  marches  from  Jamaveloch  to  Belun.  Aye; 
but  we  had  neither  food,  clothing,  sleds,  nor  guide,  and 
the  distance  was  two  hundred  and  eighty  versts  —  across 
the  bay,  over  a  mountain  range,  and  along  the  ice-gorged, 
but  still  broken,  Lena  River.  It  pleased  me  to  sit  and 
listen  to  the  numerous  and  diverse  plans  proposed  for  our 
relief  by  one  and  all ;  and  I  thought  to  glean  a  word  of 
wisdom,  a  ray  of  hope.  But  there  were  too  many  "  ifs  " 
in  all  the  schemes.    "  If  we  had  "  —  "  if  we  only  had"  — 

However,  with  the  exception  of  a  little  difficulty  which 
grew  out  of  the  trading  proclivities  of  one  of  my  party, 
the  days  passed  pleasantly  enough  with  us  in  the  village. 
We  had  repaired  our  clothing  and  health,  our  limbs  were 
rapidly  healing,  and  we  were  now  on  good  visiting  terms 
with  our  neighbors.  In  the  difficulty  mentioned  I  did 
not  think  our  Yankee  peddler  nearly  so  shrewd  as  the 
Russian  copert ;  and  he  desired  to  retreat  after  the  bar- 
gain had  been  partially  executed.  The  matter  was 
referred  to  me,  and,  sleeping  upon  it,  I  decided  that  a 
bargain  was  a  bargain,  even  though  one  of  my  people  be 
the  loser,  and  notwithstanding  he  alleged  that  in  addi- 
tion to  the  copert's  advantage  in  the  trade,  he  was  also 
indebted  to  my  countryman  for  medical  services  in  having 
cured  him  of  a  bad  cold  by  means  of  homeopathic  doses 
from  a  private  store  of  sugar-coated  pellets.     Saving  this 


KUSMA    TO   OUR  RESCUE.  135 

and  a  well  substantiated  charge  preferred  against  one  of 
the  men  of  having  stolen  and  eaten  from  our  scant  store 
of  venison,  there  were  no  disputes,  no  ill-feeling  among 
us  —  the  familiar  sailor  growls  counting  for  naught,  of 
course,  since  they  ended,  as  usual,  in  smoke.  But  I 
must  note  an  exception  in  the  case  of  Wilson,  who, 
acting  as  cook  for  the  time  being,  did  once  hang  up  the 
geese  over  his  bunk  in  order  that  they  might  thaw  out 
during  the  night  and  so  be  ready  in  the  morning  to  pluck 
and  clean  for  breakfast.  They  thawed,  it  is  true,  but 
too  freely,  for  the  juices  and  intestines  dropped  out  and 
fell  upon  Leach,  who  was  slumbering  alongside  of  Wilson. 
And  yet  even  the  commotion  occasioned  by  this  incident 
was  pleasantly  smoothed  over  by  some  one  saying  that 
Leach  should  not  growl,  since  he  was  getting  more  than 
his  share  of  goose,  and  if  he  did  n't  like  or  want  it,  he 
had  only  to  put  it  back  again. 

One  afternoon,  while  we  were  still  waiting  for  the  bay 
to  freeze,  and  wondering  what  the  day  might  bring  forth, 
our  "  Red  Fiend  "  entered  the  hut  in  a  flurry  and  very 
ceremoniously  introduced  his  friend  Kusma  Germayeff, 
a  Russian  soldat.  He  was  a  bright,  intelligent  looking 
man,  and  I  at  once  hoped  far  more  from  him  than  from 
any  one  we  had  yet  met ;  and  so  told  him  who  we  were, 
as  Yapheme  had  indeed  done  before.  I  complained  to  him 
that  the  natives  were  dealing  deceitfully  with  us ;  that 
Nicolai  Chagra  was  feeding  us  on  putrid  geese,  which,  I 
feared,  would  sicken  us  unto  death  ;  that  we  were  soldiers 
of  America,  and  that  General  Tschernaieff,  Governor  of 
Yakutsk,  would  surely  punish  any  of  his  people  who 
would  permit  us  to  suffer  for  want  of  anything  in  their 
possession  that  would  contribute  to  our  health  and  com- 
fort. And,  finally,  I  said  that  if  he,  Kusma,  would 
journey  to  Belun  with  my  letters,  and  bring  me  back 
food,  clothing,  and  reindeer  teams,  I  would  give  him  the 
whale-boat  and  five  hundred  roubles ;  provided,  however, 
he  start  at  once. 


136  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

That  was  impossible,  he  said.  The  bay  was  still  open 
in  places,  and  although  he  had  succeeded  in  picking  his 
way  across  it  from  the  main-land,  it  had  been  a  very  dan- 
gerous feat.  He  was  a  small  trader,  and  had  undertaken 
the  risk  in  order  to  barter  with  the  natives  ;  and  though 
he  had  but  few  provisions  at  his  hut,  he  would  send  us 
all  he  could  spare ;  and  thereupon  handing  me  what  salt 
there  was  left  in  his  salt-box,  which  he  carried  with  him, 
he  assured  me  that  in  four  days,  on  Thursday  ( Chick- 
verk),  he  would  come  again.  I  could  purchase  a  reindeer 
for  food,  he  thought,  from  a  friend  in  his  village,  who 
would  accept  my  promise  to  pay ;  and  as  Mr.  Danen- 
hower  suggested  that  some  one  should  accompany  Kusma 
and  secure  it,  as  well  as  any  other  procurable  provisions, 
I  consented  to  his  going,  with  orders  to  return  as  speedily 
as  possible. 

It  was  night  when  they  started,  and  Danenhower  came 
back  the  next  morning,  bringing  with  him  some  leaf 
tobacco ;  some  sugar ;  five  pounds  of  salt ;  about  five 
pounds  of  rye-meal,  and  the  dressed  carcass  of  a  young 
deer,  weighing  about  ninety  pounds.  The  venison  was 
a  great  luxury  to  us,  but  greater  than  it  by  far  was  the 
salt,  a  taste  of  which  had  not  been  afforded  us  for  weeks. 
Indeed,  we  had  saved  in  all  but  four  pounds  of  salt  from 
the  ship,  and  this  amount  quickly  disappeared  among 
thirty-three  men,  though  we  only  used  it  in  bear,  seal,  or 
walrus  stews.  When  it  had  entirely  given  out,  we  found 
a  substitute  on  the  retreat  in  the  shape  of  salt  water ; 
but  if  this  be  added  to  a  stew  too  liberally,  or  in  the 
early  stage  of  the  cooking,  it  renders  the  mess  bitter  and 
unfit  to  eat,  owing  to  the  presence  of  the  bitter  and  pur- 
gative element  in  sea-water,  which,  in  the  manufacture  of 
salt,  is  drawn  off  before  the  sodium  chloride  is  deposited. 
Salt  water,  of  course,  cannot  be  procured  at  Jamaveloch, 
which  is  pitched  along  the  fresh-water  estuary  between 
the  mouth  of  the  Lena  and  the  outlying  islands  in  the 


KUSMA    TO   OUR  RESCUE.  137 

Arctic  Sea.  Hence,  at  the  Delta  salt  is  worth  a  rouble 
per  pound,  and  is  used  as  sparingly  by  the  natives  as  is 
cayenne  pepper  in  our  households ;  a  thimbleful  of  salt 
amply  supplying  a  family  of  ten  persons  for  a  day — if, 
indeed,  they  be  so  fortunate  as  to  get  any  in  a  month. 

With  these  fresh  provisions  and  an  increased  supply  of 
fish,  our  prospects  began  to  brighten,  and  Kusma's  ex- 
pected coming  to  make  final  arrangements  for  his  jour- 
ney to  Belun  was  now  the  topic  for  our  hourly  and 
almost  constant  comment.  The  question  arose  whether 
it  would  not  be  advisable  to  send  one  of  the  party  along 
with  Kusma  to  facilitate  matters  and  stir  up  the  Russian 
official,  who,  as  a  class,  is  the  most  notorious  of  procras- 
tinators.  Bartlett,  in  whom  I  placed  full  confidence  in 
all  things,  asked  permission  to  go,  and  I  was  inclined  to 
grant  his  request,  but  as  Mr.  Danenhower  remonstrated, 
saying  it  would  be  derogatory  to  him,  I  held  my  decision 
in  reserve.  I  was  in  a  quandary.  Captain  De  Long  had 
ordered  me  not  to  permit  Mr.  Danenhower  to  do  any 
duty,  and,  although  I  was  now  independent  of  De  Long, 
still  I  did  not  feel  called  upon  to  disobey  his  orders,  for 
it  was  probable  that  upon  my  arrival  at  Belun  I  might 
there  find  him  or  Chipp ;  albeit  the  general  opinion  was 
that  both  had  been  lost  in  the  gale. 

At  length  the  expected  day  arrived,  and  with  it  be- 
times came  Kusma,  true  to  his  agreement.  Again  I  went 
over  the  points  in  our  contract,  and  urged  him  to  make 
haste.  He  assured  me  that  he  could  perform  the  journey 
to  and  from  Belun  in  five  days.  Then,  when  I  asked  if 
lie  could  take  a  courier  from  my  party,  his  prompt  reply 
dissipated  my  perplexity.  No,  he  could  not.  Why? 
He  had  but  seven  dogs  and  would  have  to  secure  more, 
since  one  man  with  his  equipment  and  dog-food  would 
weigh  four  hundred  pounds,  and,  consequently,  the  addi- 
tion of  a  courier  with  outfit  would  increase  the  load  to 
eight  hundred  pounds.    Then,  too,  if  he  must  go  quickly, 


138  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

he  could  not  be  burdened  with  a  man  requiring  care  and 
attention ;  he  must  have,  if  any,  some  one  who  would  be 
an  aid  to  him,  not  a  charge.  If  alone,  he  could  go  and 
return  in  five  days,  but  otherwise  not.  And  this  settled 
the  question. 

I  had  prepared  certain  dispatches  to  the  United  States 
Minister  at  St.  Petersburg,  and  to  the  Secretary  of  the 
Navy  ;  but  as  I  expected  so  soon  to  see  or  hear  from  the 
Russian  authorities,  I  did  not  think  it  wise  to  send  them ; 
for  since  I  had  written  the  originals  our  situation  had 
materially  improved,  and  I  had  no  desire  to  alarm  the 
world  with  news  until  I  was  altogether  sure  of  it ;  hence 
I  refrained  from  telegraphing  information  of  De  Long's 
fate  until  I  had  first  viewed  his  dead  body.  Yet,  as  the 
sequel  will  show,  my  delay  in  sending  the  dispatches 
made  no  difference  in  the  final  results,  beyond  postpon- 
ing the  arrival  of  the  news  in  the  United  States  of  my 
landing  at  the  Lena  Delta. 

On  the  14th  of  October  Kusma  left  Jamaveloch, 
promising  to  return  in  five  days.  Would  he  keep  his 
word  ?  I  had  learned  by  this  time  that  lying  is  not  con- 
sidered a  sin  either  by  the  natives  or  the  Russian  peas- 
ant ;  on  the  contrary,  if  cleverly  done,  it  is  rather  re- 
garded in  the  light  of  an  accomplishment ;  and  during 
the  whole  of  my  stay  in  Siberia  I  found  it  practiced 
everywhere,  as  well  in  the  most  trivial  as  in  the  most 
trying  circumstances.  Immediately  after  Kusma  had  de- 
parted for  "Tamoose,"  his  place  of  abode,  I  was  suddenly 
reminded  by  Danenhower  that  I  had  forgotten  to  instruct 
him  to  spread  the  news,  as  he  traveled  along,  of  the  loss 
of  the  other  two  parties,  and  to  offer  in  my  name  a  re- 
ward of  one  thousand  roubles  to  any  person  who  would 
bring  me  information  of  their  whereabouts.  To  make 
good  this  neglect,  I  sent  over  Danenhower,  upon  his  own 
request,  to  Tamoose.  He  returned  the  next  day,  and  in- 
formed me  that  Nicolai   Chagra,  our  starosti,  would  ac- 


KUSMA    TO   OUR   RESCUE.  139 

company  Kusma  to  Belun.  This,  at  first,  was  a  very 
surprising  and  unwelcome  piece  of  intelligence  to  me, 
for  I  could  not  understand  it  to  be  otherwise  than  some 
arrangement  between  the  two  calculated  to  defeat  or  in- 
terfere  with  my  plans  ;  and  it  was  not  until  some  time 
afterward  that  I  learned  that  Kusma,  being  a  criminal 
exile,  was  prohibited  under  a  penalty  from  visiting  Belun 
unless  accompanied  by  the  starosti.  And  they  started 
together,  I  heard,  on  the  16th,  leaving  us  to  count  with 
impatient  anxiety  the  days  of  their  absence. 

On  his  visits  to  Tamoose,  Mr.  Danenhower  had  been 
told  by  Kusma  and  the  natives  that  Cape  Barkin  was  only 
forty  versts  to  the  northeast  of  us,  —  a  wretched  untruth, 
the  distance  being  about  one  hundred  and  ten  versts,  in 
a  bee-line.  However,  Mr.  Danenhower  was  anxious  to 
proceed  there  on  a  search,  and  I  reluctantly  gave  him 
my  permission,  but  cautioned  him  not  to  cross  running 
streams  or  broken  ice,  or  to  jeopardize  himself  in  any 
way  so  as  to  delay  my  party  beyond  the  return  of  Kusma, 
four  days  thence.  He  had  previously  gone  to  Tamoose 
and  back  in  company  with  Spiridon,  the  villainous-look- 
ing Tunguse  whom  we  had  met  at  Arii,  the  deserted  vil- 
lage, and  of  whom  we  had  all  formed  an  adverse  opinion. 
But  now,  to  my  great  astonishment,  Mr.  Danenhower 
asserted  that  he  had  found  him  to  be  a  most  excellent 
dog-driver,  and  that  he  "could  do  with  him  just  as  he 
pleased." 

So,  everything  being  satisfactorily  arranged,  Danen- 
hower and  Spiridon  started  off  for  Tamoose  to  secure  the 
few  pounds  of  tea  and  tobacco  which  Spiridon  exacted 
for  the  hire  of  himself  and  dogs.  And  then  this  wily 
guide,  having  his  pay  in  advance,  carried  our  astounded 
shipmate  to  his  hut  at  Arii,  where  they  supped  and 
passed  the  night ;  and  when  Mr.  Danenhower  demanded 
of  him  that  they  begin  the  journey  to  Cape  Barkin  at 
once,  the  stonily  stolid  but  astute  native  was  nothing  if 


140  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

not  a  sphinx.  Threats  and  cajolery  were  alike  unable 
to  move  him.  The  faithful  one  who  would  go  anywhere, 
or  do  anything  at  slightest  beck  or  bidding,  now  that  he 
was  paid,  even  refused  to  carry  back  his  master  to  Ja- 
maveloch  and  the  "  Balogan  Americanski."  But  sure 
enough,  in  due  course  of  time,  in  came  "  Dan."  with  the 
woful  visage  of  the  Knight  of  De  la  Mancha,  and  as  he 
gradually  unfolded  to  our  anxious  ears  the  mournful  tale 
of  Spiridon's  duplicity,  the  loss  of  tea  and  tobacco,  and 
the  consequent  and  ignoble  defeat  of  the  "  first  organ- 
ized search  "  for  our  lost  companions, —  first  a  smile  stole 
round  the  hut,  then  a  titter,  and  finally  a  loud  guffaw, 
when  the  "  faithful  one  "  was  denounced  as  an  "  infa- 
mous pirate." 

Still  the  good  and  honest  Vasilli  Kool  Gar  was  ready 
with  his  dog-team  to  retrieve  the  day  for  our  doleful  and 
would-be  hero.  To  be  sure,  it  was  necessary  to  obtain 
another  fee  of  tea  and  tobacco  for  old  Vasilli ;  so  off  they 
went,  sleeping  that  night  at  the  hut  of  Kusma,  and  start- 
ing the  next  morning  for  Tarrahue.  Mr.  Danenhower's 
report  of  the  trip  to  me  was  that  they  ran  along,  much 
to  his  perplexity,  to  the  southeast  instead  of  the  north 
or  northeast,  in  which  direction  we  all  knew  Cape  Bar- 
kin  to  be.  They  journeyed  so  about  forty  versts,  and 
came  in  sight  of  a  large  island,  which  they  were  pre- 
vented from  visiting  by  the  insecurity  of  the  ice ;  then, 
sleeping  in  a  hut  over  night,  they  made  several  attempts 
the  next  day  to  cross  the  black  and  treacherous  ice  to 
the  island,  and,  failing  in  which,  returned  instanter  to 
Jamaveloch  and  the  bosoms  of  their  friends. 

Mrs.  Kusma  called  twice  upon  us,  bringing  presents  of 
tea  and  tobacco.  The  latter  she  handed  around  by  the 
leaf,  giving  an  equal  number  to  all ;  and  then  she  took 
tea  with  us,  and  a  share  of  our  fish.  Later  on  she  sent 
us  some  rye-cakes,  fried  like  flap- jacks  in  fish-oil ;  but 
meal  being  a  very  scarce  article  among  the  natives,  she 


KUSMA    TO   OUR  RESCUE.  141 

could  afford  us  but  two  or  three  apiece,  weighing  about 
two  ounces  each.  The  few  pounds  of  meal  given  us  by 
Kusraa  I  had  stored  away,  and  only  used  in  small  quan- 
tities as  thickening  for  our  fish-soup.  And  speaking  of 
Kusma,  we  were  now  becoming  impatient  of  his  pro- 
longed absence.  Five  days,  the  time  for  his  return,  had 
come  and  gone,  and  still  no  Kusma.  Among  ourselves 
we  now  discussed  the  situation  over  and  over  again, 
gravely  considering  the  possibilities  of  making  the  march 
to  Belun ;  for  the  Balogan  Americanski  was  very  much 
of  a  Liberty  Hall,  where  perfect  freedom  of  speech  pre- 
vailed, and  I  only  interfered  to  check  unhealthy  famil- 
iarity or  prevent  the  progress  of  quarrels.  We  all  in- 
dulged, to  a  greater  or  less  extent,  in  song  ;  some  of  the 
men  played  games  ;  and  Bartlett  once  roasted  a  piece  of 
venison  before  the  fire  as  a  tidbit.  It  was  toothsome, 
but  by  no  means  as  economical  as  our  customary  soups, 
the  hot  liquor  of  which  we  sorely  missed. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

A    STEP    FORWARD. 

Kusma's  Coming.  —  Nindemann  and  Noros.  —  I  start  for  Belun. — 
Siberian  Dog- Sleds.  —  A  Storm.  —  Ku  Mark  Surt. 

Many  and  long  were  our  anxious  looks  from  the  hut- 
top,  but  all  in  vain,  for  a  sight  of  Kusrua.  The  natives 
now  came  of  tener  to  see  us,  and,  at  times,  brought  fish  or 
hauled  us  a  load  of  wood  with  their  dog-sleds.  We  were 
all  in  a  fair  condition  save  Leach,  whose  great  toe  had 
become  black  and  was  rapidly  sloughing  away,  notwith- 
standing the  constant  care  of  "  Dr."  Bartlett,  who  did  all 
to  save  it  that  mortal  could  with  a  surgical  outfit  com- 
posed of  hot  water,  a  jack-knife,  and  some  ointment 
which  Danenhower  had  carried  in  a  tin  box  for  the  relief 
of  his  eyes. 

Mrs.  Kusma  came  over  one  day  to  tell  us  that  an  officer 
had  died  at  Belun,  which  was  probably  the  cause  of  her 
husband's  detention.  But  from  her  manner  it  was  p-lain 
she  lied,  although  I  subsequently  learned  that  a  petty 
official  had  indeed  died,  sometime  near  the  expiration  of 
the  five  days.  Cold  weather  had  now  set  rigorously  in, 
and  the  driving  winds  and  snow-squalls  pierced  through 
our  ragged  clothing,  chilling  us  to  the  heart.  But  inac- 
tion was  worse  than  death  by  the  roadside  ;  and  I  almost 
yielded  to  the  tempting  arguments  of  the  men,  some  of 
whom,  with  Bartlett  at  their  head,  volunteered  to  haul 
Leach  on  a  sled  along  with  the  pi-ovisions,  if  I  would  only 
give  the  order  to  start.     And  yet  when  I  glanced  at  my 


A    STEP  FORWARD.  143 

half-naked  party,  still  suffering  from  the  frost  wounds  of 
a  few  weeks  before,  and  listened  to  the  howling  pitiless 
blasts  without,  it  seemed  the  height  of  desperation  and 
of  folly  to  venture  forth  upon  such  an  undertaking.  We 
now  had  plenty  of  fish,  and  with  a  proper  guide  might 
have  made  the  march ;  and  so,  goaded  on  by  my  own 
harassing  impatience  at  Kusma's  intolerable  delay,  and 
our  enforced  idleness  while  perhaps  our  shipmates  were 
dying  for  want  of  our  assistance,  I  at  length  announced 
that  we  would  load  the  native  sleds  with  fish,  haul  Leach 
on  another,  and  with  a  native  guide  proceed  to  Belun. 
But  where  was  the  guide  ?  And  when  I  made  the  an- 
nouncement, I  was  at  once  opposed  by  Mr.  Danenhower, 
who  said  that  it  would  be  madness  to  attempt  the  march, 
that  half  of  my  party  would  perish,  and  that  he  doubted 
if  any  one  in  our  condition  could  outlive  the  journey. 
Bartlett,  who  never  lost  his  wits,  and  seemed  ready  for 
anything,  urged  the  "trial;  but  looking  around  on  the 
miserable  objects  about  me,  at  the  scant  and  tattered 
clothing,  and  the  crippled  feet  and  legs,  I  finally  and 
resolutely  determined  the  risk  to  be  too  great  and  too 
profitless.  For,  why  incur  such  danger  and  court  again 
our  intense  sufferings  ?  Was  not  our  messenger,  Kusma, 
expected  hourly  ?  Had  not  the  five  days  allotted  for  his 
trip  elapsed  and  been  almost  doubled?  So  my  proposal 
to  march  the  party  two  hundred  and  eighty  versts,  and 
play  a  game  of  "  mock  heroics,"  luckily  fell  through  and 
ended  in  talk. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  29th  of  October,  the  thir- 
teenth day  after  Kusma's  departure,  a  couple  of  sleds 
were  seen  approaching  across  the  bay.  Of  course  there 
was  instant  stop  to  our  converse,  and  every  man  of  us 
ran  forth  to  greet  our  eagerly  expected  courier.  Never 
was  absent  lover  welcomed  more  joyfully  than  Kusma 
and  his  dusky  companion,  Nicolai  Chagra.  When  the 
usual  salutations  and   the  unloading  of   the  sleds  wei'e 


144  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

ended,  and  the  tea-kettle  had  been  put  on  for  our  friends' 
refreshment,  Kusma  was  plied  with  questions  as  to  the 
cause  of  his  delay.  In  his  endeavor  to  explain  how  the 
ice  in  the  Lena  River  had  broken  up  and  run  out,  he 
interlarded  his  disjointed  story  with  a  vague  account  of 
his  having  met  two  deer-sleds  in  charge  of  some  natives, 
who  had  with  them  two  Americans  almost  dead  from 
cold  and  exposure,  and  who,  in  turn,  had  spoken  of  the 
death  of  many  of  their  comrades.  All  of  this,  and  more 
too,  Kusma  related  in  a  confused  jargon  of  Russian, 
Yakut,  and  Tunguse,  when,  suddenly  recalling  his  scat- 
tered wits,  he  reached  inside  of  his  clothing  and  drew 
forth  two  letters  and  a  folded  scrap  of  paper,  which  he 
handed  to  me,  explaining  that  the  first  letter  was  from 
the  Cossack  commandant,  and  the  other  from  the  Ma- 
linki  Pope,  or  young  priest,  of  Belun.  But  the  prize 
paper  was  the  dirty,  crumpled  scrap,  which,  as  I  unfolded 
and  deciphered  it,  opened  our  eyes  in  astonishment :  — 

"Arctic  steamer  Jeannette  lost  on  the  11th  June  ;  landed  on 
Siberia  25th  September  or  thereabouts ;  want  assistance  to  go 
for  the  Captain  and  Doctor  and  (9)  other  men. 

"  William  F.  C.  Nindemann, 
"  Louis  P.  Noros, 

"  Seamen  U.  S.  N. 
"  Reply  in  haste :  want  food  and  clothing." 

Questioning  Kusma  again,  I  learned  that  Nindemann 
and  Noros  were  en  route  for  Belun  ;  that  they  had  been 
found  in  a  hut  called  "  Bulcour,"  at  the  first  bend  of  the 
river  to  the  westward,  twenty  miles  -to  the  southward  of 
"  Tit  Arii  "  (wood  island)  ;  that  they  were  very  sick, 
having  suffered  greatly  from  hunger  and  cold ;  and  that 
he,  Kusma,  had  understood  that  many  of  their  comrades 
had  perished.  But  consulting  the  note,  I  saw  that  only 
one  man  was  missing,  since  it  read,  "  The  Captain  and 
Doctor  and  (9)  other  men ; "  the  nine  being  emphasized 
by  parenthesis.     So  the  immediate  query  that  arose  in 


q&r*^ 


A    STEP  FORWARD.  145 

our  minds  was,  Who  could  the  unfortunate  one  be  ?  No 
one  o-uessed  that  it  was  Ericksen,  a  North  Sea  fisherman, 
and  one  of  the  finest  men  in  the  ship's  company.  A 
royal,  Dane,  sure  enough,  who  had  worked  himself  out, 
and  frozen  his  feet  during  the  gale  by  his  too  constant 
application  at  steering  the  boat,  when  it  was  unsafe  to 
shift  the  men  at  the  tiller  or  steering  oar. 

While  we  were  yet  guessing  who  the  missing  man  re- 
ferred to  in  the  note  could  be,  I  decided  that  the  proper 
thin  a-  to  do  was  to  see  Nindemann  at  once  and  learn  the 
whereabouts  of  De  Long  and  his  party ;  so  I  told  Kusma 
that  he  must  instantly  load  the  sleds  again  with  the 
small  supply  of  food,  and  carry  me  back  to  Belun.  He 
protested  that  it  was  impossible.  The  dogs  were  lame ; 
they  had  been  running  along  for  several  days,  had  worn 
out  their  feet,  and  could  not  start  on  another  journey 
until  sufficiently  fed  and  rested.  But  I  would  not  brook 
a  delay  like  this,  and  insisted  upon  his  going  or  sending 
immediately  to  Arii,  ten  versts  to  the  northward,  for  a 
fresh  team  of  dogs,  so  that  we  might  depart  that  same 
night  or  the  following  morning.  A  messenger  was  ac- 
cordingly dispatched  at  once  to  Arii,  and  we  renewed 
our  cross-examination  of  Kusma. 

He  explained  how  he  and  the  starosti  had  crossed  over 
the  mountain  range  to  the  east  bank  of  the  Lena,  and 
found  the  river  all  broken  up  and  the  ice  running  out  in 
huge  masses.  It  so  tossed,  r*olled,  and  jammed  up  into 
mountainous  bergs  that  the  stream  was  impassable,  and 
as  their  road  then  lay  along  the  river  or  on  its  icy  bed, 
it  seemed  as  though  they  would  have  to  turn  back  for 
want  of  provisions.  Still  they  held  on  at  a  povarnia 
(cook-house)  until  the  ice  again  made  over  the  Lena, 
when  they  managed  to  creep  along  the  edge  of  the  moun- 
tains which  rise  precipitously  above  the  river. 

As  may  readily  be  supposed,  it   is  a  peculiarity  of 
these  northern  rivers  that  their  waters  are  mainly  de- 
10 


146  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

rived  from  the  melting  snows  in  the  months  of  June  and 
July;  when  the  Lena,  for  example,  overflowing  its  banks, 
spreads  here  and  there  to  a  width  of  sixty  miles  or  more. 
As  the  season  advances,  the  waters  decline  in  volume, 
and  during  the  month  of  August  the  river  rapidly  sub- 
sides, until  by  the  first  of  September  it  is  flowing  at 
low  ebb.  This  is  the  period  at  which  all  melting  ceases 
and  the  young  ice  begins  to  form,  and  as  the  process  goes 
on,  the  water  which  bore  the  ice  on  its  bosom  falls  away 
for  want  of  further  supply  from  the  south,  and  the  great 
sheet  of  ice,  with  nothing  to  uphold  or  sustain  it,  tumbles 
in,  and  is  carried  away  by  the  swift,  unchanging  cur- 
rent, for  there  is  no  tide.  Then  the  ice  grinds,  swirls, 
and  piles  upward,  while  the  river  rises  in  its  might  and 
drives  the  ice  before  it  like  so  much  brushwood  rolled 
before  the  wind ;  and  these  freezings  and  floods  continue 
until  late  in  autumn,  when  the  river,  dwindling  to  little 
or  nothing,  quietly  seeks  beneath  the  ice  its  muddy  way 
to  the  sea.  And  such  was  the  cause  of  Kusma's  delay 
in  reaching  Belun. 

But  upon  his  arrival  there  the  Cossack  commandant, 
Bieshoff,  would  only  permit  him  to  tarry  and  rest  one 
night,  hurrying  him  back  to  Jamaveloch,  with  a  small 
amount  of  provisions  and  the  letter  from  himself  and 
the  Malinki  Pope,  and  also  the  verbal  message  that  he, 
Bieshoff,  would  be  at  Jamaveloch,  postle  zoftria  (day 
after  to-morrow),  bringing  food,  clothing,  and  reindeer 
enough  to  convey  the  whole  of  my  party  to  Belun. 

Some  uncharitable  person  has  circulated  the  report 
that  Kusma's  delay  was  due  to  his  having  become  intoxi- 
cated while  en  route  ;  but  I  am  glad  to  say  that  such  was 
not  the  belief  of  Bieshoff,  or  the  finding  of  an  official  in- 
quiry instituted  at  my  request  by  Epatchieff,  the  esprav- 
nick  of  the  district.  It  was  then  shown  that  there  was 
not  a  drop  of  vodki  or  spirits  to  be  had  between  Kusma's 
house  and  Belun ;  that  Bieshoff  permitted  Kusma  to  re- 


A   STEP  FORWARD.  147 

main  but  one  night  in  Belun  ;  and  that,  since  he  followed 
him  the  day  after  by  reindeer  teams,  and  Kusma  arrived 
at  Jamaveloch  a  day  ahead,  the  report  was  consequently 
a  base  slander,  and  had  its  origin  in  the  meaner  qualities 
of  man's  nature,  which,  in  some  people,  are  supreme  and 
ungovernable  —  people  whom  we  see  belie,  belittle,  tra- 
duce, and  abuse  those  of  their  fellows  who  earnestly  try 
to  do  their  duty,  to  be  a  little  better,  or  to  do  a  little 
better,  than  the  soulless  curs  around  them. 

Poor  Kusma  did  go  and  return  as  quickly  as  it  was 
possible  at  that  season  of  the  year;  and  remember,  please, 
there  is  no  beaten  track  or  road  in  these  regions.  The 
face  of  the  country  changes  its  appearance  every  season, 
and  only  those  accustomed  to  traveling  it  can  find  their 
way  without  compass,  directed  by  the  mountain  peaks 
and  furrows  of  snow  thrown  up  by  the  prevailing  winds. 
Kusma  and  all  the  natives  in  the  vicinity  interested  in 
our  care  or  guidance  were  rigidly  examined  in  my  pres- 
ence by  Epatchieff,  in  obedience  to  an  order  from  Gen- 
eral Tschernaieff,  and  but  one  verdict  could  be  reached, 
which  was,  that  they  all  did  everything  that  lay  in  their 
power  for  our  health,  comfort,  and  safety  ;  that  Kusma 
carried  the  messages  from  Jamaveloch  to  Belun  as  early 
and  as  speedily  as  possible  (he,  indeed,  being  the  first 
person  to  cross  the  country  and  river  that  season,  at  great 
personal  risk  and  sacrifice)  ;  and  that  his  devotion  and 
suffering  were  certainly  deserving  of  something  better 
than  suspicion  and  slander.  However,  it  is  gratifying  to 
know  that  the  most  severe,  as  well  as  senseless,  strictures 
were  evolved  by  critics  10,000  miles  or  more  distant  from 
the  scene  of  action,  by  persons  who  would  doubtless  think 
it  a  terrible  hardship  if  they  were  obliged  to  breakfast 
before  ten  A.  M. 

I  was  unable  to  leave  Jamaveloch  on  the  night  of  Kus- 
ma's  return,  so  everything  was  made  ready  for  my  de- 
parture on  the  morrow.     It  was  October  30th,  and  be- 


148  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

times  in  the  morning,  bright  and  early,  came  old  Va- 
silli  Kool  Gar  with  a  fine  team  of  dogs.  His  sleigh  was 
old  for  so  long  a  journey,  but  a  new  one  was  to  be  pro- 
cured on  our  way.  Before  going,  I  gave  Mr.  Danen- 
hower  verbal  orders,  which  afterwards,  when  paper  be- 
came more  plentiful,  I  put  into  writing,  wherein  I  in- 
structed him  to  immediately  set  out  upon  the  arrival  of 
Bieshoff  with  the  deer-sleds  and  clothing  for  Belun,  and 
there  await  my  arrival.  It  was  my  intention,  I  informed 
him,  to  intercept  Bieshoff  on  the  way  and  turn  him  back, 
in  order  to  have  him  accompany  me  on  my  search  for  the 
missing  party  of  the  first  cutter ;  but  failing  in  this,  I 
would  hurry  on  to  Belun  for  the  purpose  of  learning  from 
Nindemann  the  particulars  and  whereabouts  of  De  Long 
and  party,  and  hence  Bieshoff  s  arrival  at  Jamaveloch 
would  announce  the  fact  that  we  had  failed  to  meet. 

I  took  with  me  the  remains  of  what  clothing  I  had 
saved  from  the  retreat,  consisting  of  the  shreds  of  an  un- 
dershirt and  pair  of  drawers  which  had  done  duty  since 
June ;  a  pair  of  thin  cassimere  trousers  which  I  had  not 
only  used  for  months  after  leaving  the  ship,  but  had  also 
worn  in  China  during  my  cruise  previous  to  joining  the 
Jeannette,  and  the  legs  of  which  were  now  lopped  off  be- 
low the  knees  to  furnish  material  for  patching  and  quilt- 
ing that  portion  of  a  man's  main  garment  soonest  in- 
clined to  decay ;  footless  stockings,  seal-skin  moccasins,  a 
blue  flannel  shirt  which  I  had  worn  for  a  year,  and  my  old 
seal-skin  coat,  shrunk,  shriveled,  full  of  holes,  and  devoid 
of  lining.  These  with  a  fur  cap  and  a  pair  of  canvas 
mittens  completed  my  costume  ;  but  I  carried  my  faithful 
old  sleeping-bag  with  me,  and  hauled  it  up  over  my  feet 
and  knees  to  keep  them  from  freezing ;  and  then  with  a 
small  supply  of  perhaps  five  pounds  of  bread,  some  tea,  a 
pound  of  pemmican  which  I  had  stowed  away  for  just  such 
an  emergency,  and  a  lot  of  frozen  fish,  we  at  last  started 
on  our  journey  to  Belun,  with  the  thermometer  ranging 
anywhere  from  ten  to  twenty  degrees  below  zero  (Fahr.). 


A   STEP  FORWARD.  149 

It  was  but  a  short  distance  across  the  bay  to  Kusma's 
dwelling  at  Tamoose,  where  we  were  to  procure  the  new 
sled  that  would  stand  the  rough  usage  of  travel  across  the 
mountains  and  over  the  broken  ice  of  the  river.  Arrived 
at  Tamoose,  we  at  once  busied  ourselves  in  getting  the 
sled  in  order,  when  lo  !  to  my  surprise,  I  learned  that  it 
would  have  to  be  built ;  that  is,  new  runners  and  stan- 
chions would  have  to  be  put  under  the  sled  we  had  in 
view.  There  was  no  use  fretting.  Our  own  conveyance 
was  worn  out  and  worthless  ;  so  the  new  one  must  be 
built,  and  at  once,  and  I  was  at  least  pleased  to  watch  it 
grow  into  shape  under  my  eyes,  which  it  did  so  smartly 
that  before  evening  we  were  altogether  prepared  for  our 
journey. 

This  was  the  close  of  October  30th,  1881.  A  memo- 
orable  day,  for  about  one  hundred  miles  distant  from 
Tamoose  it  sealed  the  sad  fate  of  De  Long  and  his  com- 
rades ;  and  five  months  later,  when  I  found  their  bodies, 
turning  to  the  last  written  page  of  De  Long's  note-book, 
or  "  ice-journal, "  as  it  is  now  known  to  history,  I  read 
the  last  pitiful  entry,  evidently  written  in  the  morn- 
ing, — 

"  Oct.  30th,  Sunday.  —  One  hundred  and  fortieth  day. 
Boyd  and  Gortz  died  during  the  night.  Mr.  Collins 
dying." 

So  the  close  of  the  day  that  saw  me  finish  and  pack 
my  sled  at  Tamoose  doubtless  closed  the  eyes  and  earthly 
career  of  the  commander  and  remainder  of  as  gallant  a 
band  of  men  as  ever  struggled  against  fate,  or  its  cruel 
emissaries,  ice,  snow,  hunger,  and  cold.  The  next  morn- 
ing, October  31st,  was  very  cold,  and  a  brisk  breeze  blew 
from  the  eastward,  driving  the  snow  in  clouds  and  ob- 
seuring  the  faint  glare  of  the  sun,  which  had  already  set- 
tled behind  the  southern  mountain  range,  not  to  show  its 
face  until  the  following  spring.  Old  Vasilli,  ready  with 
his  team  of  dogs,  supplemented  by  recruits  from  Tamoose, 


150  IN  THE   LENA   DELTA. 

in  company  with  some  of  the  villagers  and  the  occupants 
of  Kusma's  hut,  first  paid  his  religious  devotions  before 
the  icon  over  the  guest's  couch,  with  all  the  elaborate 
ceremony  of  the  navigators  of  old  when  starting  on  a 
long  and  perilous  voyage.  Bowing  down  even  unto  the 
earth,  on  which  he  rested  his  forehead  and  which  he 
finally  kissed,  he  arose,  stood  upright,  and  exclaimed 
'*  Pi  dome  !  "    (Go  on,  or,  We  will  go.) 

The  dogs  had  been  hitched  in  harness  for  some  time, 
and  were  now  restless  and  eager  to  be  off.  There  were 
eleven  in  our  team,  comprising  a  variety  in  size  and  color, 
some  being  party-colored,  though  the  red  fox  dog  (that  is, 
a  kind  of  dog  much  resembling  the  red  fox  in  color  and 
shape)  was  in  the  majority.  The  rest  were  mongrels  of 
every  hue  and  build,  the  largest  weighing  about  forty- 
five,  and  the  lightest  about  twenty-five  pounds  ;  and  this 
motley  team  had  been  making  the  icy  air  resound  with 
its  discordant  solos  and  chorus. 

I  seated,  myself  sideways  on  the  sled  with  my  feet 
trailing  on  the  ground  or  snow,  allowiug  room  in  front 
for  Vasilli.  Composing  himself,  he  seized  the  great  iron- 
shod  staff  with  which  he  ^guides  the  sled  and  dogs,  and 
when  in  ill-temper,  beats  them  too,  and  grasping  the 
bows  of  the  sled  gave  it  a  gentle  sway,  shouting  the  while 
to  the  team.  Away  we  went,  with  the  dogs  in  full  cry, 
all  yelping,  snapping,  biting,  and  seizing  each  other  from 
behind,  those  in  front  turning  round  to  fight  back,  until 
some  were  drawn  off  their  feet  and  dragged  along  at  a 
fearful  rate  ;  Vasilli,  yelling  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  coaxed, 
scolded,  and  anathematized  by  turn,  until  at  length,  by 
dint  of  twisting  and  rolling  over,  the  team  became  entan- 
gled into  one  living  mass  of  vicious  flesh.  To  pacify  and 
disentangle  the  crazy  canines,  Vasilli  leaped  upon  them 
with  his  iron-pointed  guiding  staff,  and  the  only  astonish- 
ing thing  to  me  was  how  the  poor  brutes  could  live  under 
such  a  heavy  basting.     It  is  true  some  of  them,  after  re- 


A   STEP   FORWARD.  151 

ceiving  a  severe  blow  on  the  small  of  the  back,  did  drag 
their  hind-legs  for  a  few  minutes,  but  in  the  end  it  did 
not  seem  to  check  their  desire  to  bite  and  fight.  Yet 
they  were  considerably  more  tractable  after  this,  their 
first  beating,  and  ran  along  at  a  more  even  pace,  follow- 
ing the  leaders,  who  in  turn  were  guided  and  governed 
by  Vasilli's  word  of  command  :  "  Tuck,  tuck  !  Taduck, 
tacluck !  Stoi,  stoi ! "  (right,  right  ;  left,  left ;  stop, 
stop  ;)  and  a  general  chuckle  of  encouragement. 

Directly  the  dogs  had  outlived  their  excitement  and 
settled  strictly  to  their  work,  they  looked  beautifully 
picturesque,  with  heads  down  and  manes  and  tails  up  and 
wagging,  while  only  an  occasional  yelp  burst  from  their 
ranks  as  they  scudded  along  the  ravines  and  over  rivers, 
taking  the  top  of  the  hard  snow  at  about  six  miles  an 
hour.  Approaching  steep  banks,  the  dogs  are  sometimes 
turned  loose,  and  the  sled  lowered  by  hand ;  but  when 
not  too  steep  the  whole  force  dashes  down  the  descent, 
and,  if  great  care  is  not  exercised  by  the  driver  with  his 
staff,  sled  and  riders  are  rolled  over  on  the  ice  or  snow, 
and  not  always  without  serious  injury.  Such  an  acci- 
dent occurred  to  us  the  first  day  out  from  Tamoose,  in 
which  my  left  arm  above  the  elbow  was  so  injured  as  to 
render  it  powerless  for  hours,  and  even  at  this  late  date 
the  swelling  remains. 

The  sleds  of  Siberia  are  from  twelve  to  fourteen  feet 
long,  about  twenty  inches  wide,  and  raised  about  ten 
inches  above  the  runners,  which  are  five  or  six  inches 
wide,  single-ended,  and  made  of  birch,  when  procurable. 
The  uprights,  of  which  there  are  usually  five  to  each 
runner,  are  made  long  enough  to  extend  as  high  above 
the  deck  or  flooring  of  the  sled  as  below  it,  in  order  to 
receive  a  rail ;  while  joining  the  tops  not  only  adds 
strength  to  the  frail  -  looking  frame,  but  also  forms  a 
guard  for  the  load.  The  uprights  are  fashioned  with 
conical  ends  which  fit  into  corresponding  holes  in  the 


152  IN   THE  LENA  DELTA. 

runner,  and  midway  in  the  height  of  the  upright,  at  a 
swell  given  for  strength,  is  a  conical  hole,  with  the  larger 
circle  on  the  inside.  Into  these  holes  are  fitted  the 
cross-bearer  pieces,  on  which  rests  the  deck  or  floor,  gen- 
erally made  of  one  or  two  thin  slabs  of  wood,  smoothed 
down,  after  splitting,  with  the  blade  of  an  axe  used  as  a 
jack-plane.  The  uprights  rake  aft  a  few  degrees  out  of 
the  vertical,  and  are  lashed  down  into  the  runners  by 
thongs  which  run  up  through  and  are  counter-sunk  or 
let  in  beneath  the  runners,  and  pass  through  holes  bored 
near  the  bottom  of  the  uprights. 

The  whole  affair  is  lashed  together,  but  left  as  elastic 
as  a  willow  basket,  none  of  its  parts  being  tightly  wedged 
or  pinned,  since,  if  made  rigid,  the  rough  travel  for  which 
it  is  intended  would  soon  break  it  to  pieces  ;  whereas,  if 
any  of  the  lashings  should  break  or  wear  out,  a  ready  re- 
sort can  be  had  to  the  harness  or  long  trace  to  which  the 
dogs  are  hitched.  A  large  birch  bow,  one  and  a  half 
inches  in  diameter,  bent  in  one  sweep  of  nearly  a  circle, 
binds  the  two  runners  together  in  front  at  the  same 
time  that  it  wards  off  projecting  pieces  of  ice,  and  to  it 
the  lanyard  or  trace  is  also  attached. 

I  said  that  our  team  consisted  of  eleven  dogs  of  vari- 
ous breeds.  They  were  hitched  in  pairs  along  the  centre 
trace  at  equal  intervals  of  about  four  feet,  with  a  leader 
in  advance.  At  a  convenient  distance  from  the  bow  com- 
mence the  toggles,  by  means  of  which  the  dogs  are  fast- 
ened to  the  trace.  The  dog  harness  of  Siberia  is  of  the 
kind  known  in  this  country  as  "  Dutch  harness,"  with 
breast  strap,  etc. ;  and  I  do  not  consider  it  near  so  sen- 
sible or  comfortable  in  arrangement  for  the  dogs  as  that 
in  use  by  the  natives  of  Norton  Sound  or  St.  Michael's. 
The  former  runs  up  and  chokes  the  dog  around  the  neck 
when  not  carefully  adjusted,  — something  which  the  trav- 
eler in  cold  weather  cannot  always  find  time  to  do ; 
whereas  the  latter  harness  rests  upon  the  back  of   the 


A   STEP  FORWARD.  153 

dog's  neck,  and  when  he  hauls  settles  down,  bringing  the 
load  on  his  shoulders.  It  is  made  in  the  form  of  a  figure 
eight,  the  head  passing  through  one  of  the  loops,  and  the 
other  being  long  enough  to  pass  under  the  fore-legs  and 
up  on  the  back,  where  a  short  trace  takes  hold  and  at- 
taches it  to  the  toggle.  These  toggles  make  it  a  compar- 
atively easy  task  to  clear  a  dog-team  when  tangled  up 
in  a  fight. 

I  noticed  that  a  peculiarity  of  the  trained  Siberian 
dog  is  that  after  being  turned  loose  for  any  purpose,  he 
will  at  once  resume  his  place  in  harness  again  when 
called  ;  although  a  strange  dog  may  sometimes  require  a 
little  coaxing,  which  the  natives  do  by  playfully  throw- 
ing up  their  mittens  to  attract  his  attention,  and  so  pro- 
tect him  from  the  fury  of  the  "  old  stagers."  After  a 
run  of  an  hour  or  less  the  dogs  are  usually  brought  to  a 
stop  and  permitted  to  rest ;  whereupon  they  roll  around 
and  rub  the  rime  out  of  their  eyes  and  ears,  and  from 
their  heads,  and  then,  stretching  out,  lick  their  paws, 
which  soon  become  very  sore  from  travel.  A  team  can 
seldom  endure  more  than  ten  days'  continuous  work,  for, 
no  matter  how  well  fed,  the  feet  wear  out  and  bleed, 
and  the  dogs  are  shortly  so  enfeebled  as  to  be  almost 
useless.  A  native  will  not  willingly  drive  his  team  two 
days  in  succession,  the  custom  being  to  travel  one  day 
and  rest  the  next. 

Not  so  with  me,  however,  for  I  insisted  upon  push- 
ing forward  as  rapidly  as  possible,  and  when  night  fell 
we  pulled  up  at  a  povarnia,  about  sixty  versts  from  Ta- 
moose.  Here  was  congregated  a  mixed  crowd  of  natives 
and  small  traders  who  were  proceeding  on  their  respec- 
tive routes  to  secure  the  cream  of  the  fall  trade,  all  hud- 
dled together,  men,  women,  and  children,  in  the  hut, 
which  was  about  twelve  feet  square  and  four  and  a  half 
feet  high,  with  a  fire-place  in  the  centre  of  the  floor,  over 
which  a  dozen  pots  and  kettles  were  cooking  for  the  dif- 


154  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

ferent  parties.  Making  room  for  the  new-comers,  they 
all  concentrated  their  gaze  and  conversation  on  ns,  while 
Vasilli  placed  my  sleeping-bag  in  a  corner  of  the  povar- 
nia,  and  put  on  his  tea  and  cooking  kettles,  the  latter 
containing  a  portion  of  a  reindeer  head.  Then  having 
staked  and  fed  the  dogs,  and  eaten  our  supper,  we  turned 
in  for  the  night.  Thirty  persons  in  a  hut  not  more  than 
twelve  feet  square !  After  the  day's  journey  I  felt  none 
the  worse,  save  for  the  hurt  I  had  received  from  the 
overturning  of  the  sled ;  though  the  pains  in  my  legs 
and  feet,  which  had  not  yet  entirely  recovered  from  their 
former  freezing,  were  terrible,  and  fresh  blisters  had 
formed  on  my  heels  and  shins,  and  the  toe-nails  had 
turned  black  and  begun  to  curl  up  like  burnt  feathers. 
Yet  in  a  little  while  we  were  all  asleep,  now  and  then 
disturbed  by  the  howling  of  the  dogs  without  or  the  bit- 
ing of  the  vermin  within. 

Day  broke  with  a  fierce  wind,  which,  drifting  the  snow 
in  clouds,  caused  the  poor  dogs  to  bay  out  their  misery 
with  all  the  strength  left  in  their  weak  quivering  bodies. 
For,  on  a  journey,  they  are  never  housed  at  night,  either 
when  halting  at  a  povarnia  or  elsewhere,  but  a  stake  is 
driven  in  the  snow  at  the  bow  of  the  sled  to  retain  it  in 
place,  the  main  trace  is  hauled  well  taut  and  made  fast 
to  another  stake,  and  the  driver's  great  iron-shod  staff  is 
finally  hitched  into  the  centre  of  the  trace  and  elevated 
so  as  to  barely  permit  the  middle  dogs  to  lie  down.  This 
is  done  to  prevent  fighting  and  consequent  entanglement, 
and  while  thus  confined  they  are  fed,  each  dog  voraciously 
devouring  his  fish  or  fraction  thereof.  The  young  and 
vigorous  members  of  the  team,  with  good,  sharp  teeth, 
quickly  absorb  their  rations,  and  then  endeavor  to  seize 
the  whole  or  a  part  of  their  aged  neighbors',  which,  men- 
acing the  enemy  with  sundry  snaps  and  growls,  manage 
after  occasional  frenzied  bites  to  bolt  their  frozen  meal, 
provided  that  the  aged  one  is  not  assaulted   from  the 


A    STEP  FORWARD.  155 

rear,  either  from  "pure  cussedness  "  by  a  co-laborer  just 
robbed,  or  by  a  youthful  and  vicious  marauder  urged  to 
the  attack  by  his  knowledge  that  the  old  and  defenseless 
one  has  lost  his  teeth  and  is  fain  to  "gum"  his  food. 
Often  in  an  affair  of  this  kind  the  attacking  party  fails 
after  all  to  secure  the  fish,  for,  while  owner  and  enemy 
are  making  war  for  its  possession,  a  sly  cur  takes,  lawyer- 
like, a  quiet  hand  in  the  affray  and  carries  off  the  prize. 

Our  dogs  could  only  be  seen  as  trembling  masses  of 
snow,  and  Vasilli  did  not  wish  to  start  until  the  weather 
cleared  or  the  wind  calmed.  Few  if  any  of  our  fellow- 
travelers  cared  to  face  the  storm,  and  only  those  who 
had  a  following  wind  gathered  their  traps  together  and 
ventured  forth  later  in  the  day,  when  the  gale  had  slightly 
abated.  Vasilli  then  intimated  his  willingness  to  re- 
sume the  journey,  protesting,  however,  his  fears  for  my 
safety  in  such  weather.  I  was  still  limping  and  miser- 
able, and  the  cold  wind  and  snow  sifted  through  my  tat- 
tered garments,  setting  me  to  shake  and  shiver,  while  the 
natives,  observing  my  condition,  shook  their  heads  and 
muttered  "Morose"  (cold  and  hungry).  But  I  urged 
Vasilli  on,  and  so  with  their  blessings  and  crossings,  and 
a  few  presents  of  dried  fish  from  the  sympathetic  natives, 
began  my  second  day's  journey  toward  Belun. 

The  weather  cleared  as  we  proceeded,  but  the  cold  be- 
came more  intense,  severely  cramping  my  frozen  feet  and 
legs.  During  the  day  Vasilli  halted  the  team  about 
every  half  hour,  and  while  the  dogs  rested  I  thrashed 
about  in  an  endeavor  to  coax  the  blood  to  circulate  to 
my  extremities  ;  for  it  was  out  of  the  question  for  me  to 
run  alongside  of  the  sled,  since  the  dogs,  with  lightened 
load,  quickened  their  pace  beyond  the  power  of  one  so 
crippled  as  myself  to  keep  up  with  them.  Day  darkened 
into  night,  and  we  still  staggered  on  over  the  bed  of  the 
river,  having  left  the  mountains.  It  was  here  that  I  had 
hoped  to  intercept  Bieshoff,  the  Cossack    commandant, 


156  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

with  his  deer-teams  ;  and  it  was  my  intention  to  either 
turn  him  back  to  Belun,  or  start  with  him  immediately 
to  the  north,  if  he  knew  the  location  of  De  Long  and 
party  from  the  information  given  him  by  Nindemann  and 
Noros,  or  by  the  natives  who  had  found  them  starving 
in  the  hut  at  Bulcour.  The  ice  on  the  bed  of  the  river 
was  exceedingly  rough,  and  thrown  up  in  great  heaps 
and  ridges  like  windrows,  forcing  us  to  take  a  very  devi- 
ous course  in  picking  our  precarious  way  along  the  ice- 
shelves  by  the  banks  of  the  river,  which  we  crossed  and 
recrossed  many  times.  I  thought  I  should  perish  of  cold 
before  we  reached  Ku  Mark  Surt ;  for  I  could  do  nothing 
but  sit  on  the  sled,  beating  my  limbs  to  keep  warm, 
while  the  cold  blasts  tortured  and  froze  me.  As  it  grew 
darker  it  grew  colder,  and  kind  old  Vasilli  kept  encour- 
aging me,  saying,  "  Malinki,  malinki,  balogan  "  (a  little, 
little  way  to  the  house) ;  and  as  he  chattered  on  and 
scolded  the  dogs,  he  would  occasionally  place  his  hands 
on  me,  as  if  to  assure  himself  that  I  was  there  and  alive, 
and  then,  with  a  cheerful  word  and  laugh,  would  seem 
perfectly  content. 

Long  after  midnight,  while  we  briefly  halted  to  afford 
the  team  a  breathing  spell,  Vasilli  pointed  ahead  with 
his  staff,  saying,  "Ku  Mark  Surt,"  and,  at  the  same 
time,  stretching  forth  his  arms  with  the  hands  and  fin- 
gers drooping  and  trembling,  after  the  manner  of  tree 
branches,  repeated  over  and  over  again,  "  Lis,  lis,  masta  " 
(leaves,  leaves,  wood).  Finally  I  caught  the  outlines  of 
low,  dwarf  pines  fringing  the  banks  of  the  river,  and  at 
once  understood  that  we  had  come  to  the  place  where 
trees  were  growing,  or,  in  other  words,  had  reached  the 
limit  of  timber  growth  in  that  region.  A  pleasing  sight 
to  me,  indeed,  for  it  was  the  first  standing  timber  I  had 
seen  for  more  than  two  years,  and  no  matter  how  mean 
and  stunted,  I  felt  as  though  I  had  met  in  it  an  old  friend. 

Soon  we  detected  the  baying  of  dogs  in  a  distant  vil- 


A   STEP  FORWARD.  157 

lage,  and  our  team,  listening  for  a  moment,  answered  the 
cry  with  interest,  and  then  dashed  forward  with  renewed 
vigor.  In  a  little  while  we  could  see  sparks  rising  from 
huts  on  the  steep  west  bank  of  the  river,  and,  shortly- 
after,  the  villagers,  comprising  three  or  four  families, 
aroused  by  the  noise  of  the  dogs,  seized  our  team  and  as- 
sisted us  up  the  bank  and  into  a  new,  cozy,  and  warm 
hut,  where  a  prosperous  family,  composed  of  a  widow 
with  three  sons  (one  being  paralyzed  in  the  legs),  two 
daughters,  and  an  old  aunt,  and  a  blind  stranger,  lived 
in  true  Yakut  luxury.  They  had  a  good  hut,  plenty  of 
fish,  fresh  and  smoked,  some  tea,  and  a  very  little  salt. 
Vasilli  told  them  our  story  all  over  again,  and  of  course 
the  neighbors  were  present  to  see  and  marvel  at  another 
of  the  queer  beings  who  had  apparently  risen  out  of  the 
frozen  sea,  —  the  boos  byral,  —  the  thought  of  which 
seems  to  fill  them  with  terror,  for  I  found  them  all  ready 
and  willing  to  perform  any  duty  except  venturing  upon 
the  sea. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

AT  BELUN. 

I  am  Admired.  —  Deer-Sleds.  —  Buruloch.  —  Native  Gossips.  — 
Meeting  with  Nindemann  and  Noros.  —  Their  Piteous  Story.  — 
The  Malinki  Pope. —  An  Unexpected  Visit  from  Bartlett.  —  Back 
to  Buruloch. 

The  villagers,  who  had  either  seen  or  heard  of  Ninde- 
mann and  Noros,  proceeded  to  tell  me  all  about  them, 
how  they  looked,  and  what  they  and  their  companions 
had  suffered.  Then  while  all  busied  themselves  in  the 
preparation  of  a  supper  of  hot  tea  and  boiled  fish,  I  was 
regaled  with  some  raw,  frozen  fish-bellies,  which  melted 
into  oil  when  I  placed  them  in  my  mouth  ;  and  the  na- 
tives were  very  much  surprised  to  see  that  I  preferred 
the  other  parts  of  the  fish,  cut  thin  and  free  of  the  oily 
fat ;  since  with  them  the  height  of  happiness  and  good 
living  consists  in  a  feast  of  fat  things,  and  as  raw,  fat 
fish-bellies  are  the  fattest  things  in  Northern  Siberia, 
they  ate  what  I  rejected,  and  doubtless  wondered  at  my 
poor  taste.  Our  meal  also  included  some  smoke-cured 
fish,  and  after  eating  heartily  we  all  turned  in  and  slept 
soundly  until  broad  daylight. 

When  I  awoke,  a  small  wooden  vessel,  made  in  the 
shape  of  a  butcher's  tray,  was  placed  on  the  ground  be- 
fore me,  and  a  member  of  the  household  stood  ready  with 
a  ladle  of  water,  which  he  poured  into  my  hands  while 
I  washed,  the  wooden  trough  catching  the  drippings. 
When  breakfast,  which  differed  from  our  evening  meal 
only  in  the  time  of  eating,  was  prepared,  the  whole  house- 


AT  BELUN.  159 

hold  examined  and  admired  my  tin  drinking-pot ;  and, 
as  I  had  removed  my  outer  clothing,  and  stood  in  my  red 
flannel  under-clothes,  now  faded,  patched  and  torn,  they 
all  overhauled  me,  old  and  young,  male  and  female,  — 
even  to  the  poor  old  blind  man  in  the  corner,  who  though 
unable  to  see  my  gaudy  raiment  was  yet  led  across  the 
hut  that  he  might  feel  the  texture  and  criticise  the  cut 
of  the  stranger's  clothes.  Every  one  was  delighted  with 
my  sleeping-bag,  and  indeed  it  was  quite  an  improvement 
upon  the  gear  in  use  by  the  natives.  They  sleep  on  deer- 
skins, each  sleeper  being  furnished  with  a  long  narrow 
covering  of  light  cotton  calico,  quilted  with  white  fox  and 
rabbit -skins,  the  bottom  of  which  is  turned  under  so  as 
to  form  a  short  bag  or  pocket,  and  into  this  he  thrusts 
his  feet  and  legs  to  the  knees,  tucking  the  sides  of  the 
loose  quilt  under  him.  When  a  couple  sleep  together, 
the  bag  is  of  course  wider.  The  only  difference  in  the 
native's  mode  of  sleeping  in  or  out  of  doors  is  that  when 
housed,  he  strips  to  nudity,  whereas  when  retiring  in  a 
snow-drift,  he  usually  retains  a  portion,  at  least,  of  his 
clothing. 

After  breakfast,  I  was  told  by  Vasilli  that  for  want  of 
dog-food  he  could  go  no  further,  but  that  the  starosti  of 
the  village  would  conduct  me  by  deer-sled  to  Buruloch, 
the  next  station ;  and  in  a  little  while  I  was  again  un- 
der way,  having  taken  an  affectionate  farewell  of  my 
good  friend  Vasilli,  who  seemed  as  proud  and  careful  of 
his  charge  as  he  might  be,  in  his  old  age,  of  a  baby.  My 
sleeping-bag  and  small  store  of  provisions  were  placed 
on  a  little  sled  about  six  feet  long  and  twenty  inches 
wide,  with  three  uprights,  and  rails,  bow  and  runners  ar- 
ranged as  in  the  dog-sled,  compared  with  which,  how- 
ever, it  was  a  poor  affair.  My  driver  had  a  separate 
sled,  and  to  each  two  fine  young  deer  were  hitched,  fast- 
ened loosely  at  the  head  by  a  halter.  A  strap  of  raw- 
hide, one  and  a  half  inches  wide,  passed  across  the  shoul- 


160  IN  THE  LENA  DELTA. 

der  and  neck  and  under  a  fore-leg  of  one  deer,  the  centre 
running  around  the  bow  of  the  sled,  and  then  back  again 
to  the  other  deer,  so  as  to  bring  an  equal  strain  on  each 
animal.  A  long  rein  led  outside  from  the  forehead  of 
the  right  hand  deer,  and  was  held  in  the  left  hand  of  the 
driver,  who,  perched  on  the  front  of  his  sled,  goaded  the 
teams  onward  by  means  of  a  slightly  tapering  pole,  ten 
or  twelve  feet  long,  and  about  one  inch  in  diameter,  the 
free  end  furnished  with  a  button  made  of  wood  or  deer- 
horn,  with  which  he  punched  the  haunches  of  the  deer ; 
my  team  being  hitched  behind  the  other  sled. 

Away  we  went  over  the  smooth  banks  of  the  river ; 
along  the  land  when  practicable,  at  other  times  on  the 
ice-shelf,  and  occasionally  my  driver  would  lead  the  deer 
by  the  halter  over  and  around  the  broken,  heaped  up  ice- 
bed.  At  such  times  it  was  impossible  to  keep  on  the 
sleds,  since  they  were  continually  overturning,  while  the 
driver  sought  out  a  path,  none  as  yet  having  been  made 
on  the  river.  Yet,  whenever  an  opportunity  presented 
itself,  we  indulged  in  fast  driving,  though  such  distances 
were  very  short  and  disagreeable,  too  ;  for  when  the  deer 
were  driven  at  the  top  of  their  speed,  they  seemed  to 
labor  painfully  along  with  heads  thrust  forward,  tongues 
hanging  out,  nostrils  distended,  sides  working  at  every 
leap  like  a  great  pair  of  blacksmith's  bellows,  and  the 
noise  of  their  breathing  like  the  exhaust  of  a  locomo- 
tive. Maintaining  their  fearful  exertions  for  about  half 
an  hour,  they  suddenly  swerve  to  the  right  or  left  among 
the  trees,  or  up  a  steep  bank,  to  avoid  their  tormentor, 
or,  dropping  down  in  their  tracks,  bury  their  heads  with 
open  mouths  deep  in  the  snow,  and  eat  voraciously  of  the 
cooling  dust. 

Before  night  we  had  arrived  at  Buruloch,  a  deer  sta- 
tion on  the  east  side  of  the  Lena  River,  and  eighty  versts 
from  Belnn.  Nothing  worthy  of  note  had  transjjired 
during  the  day,  except  the  novelty  of  reindeer  riding, 


AT  BELUN.  161 

and  I  had  learned  the  reason  why  dogs  and  deer  cannot 
travel  by  the  same  road,  which  simply  is  that  the  dogs 
are  so  fierce  they  will  attack  and  kill  the  latter.  So, 
just  before  reaching  Buruloch,  when  we  sighted  a  dog- 
team  approaching  us  in  the  distance,  my  driver  turned 
our  team  up  a  bank,  and  conducted  it  into  the  woods, 
back  of  the  road,  stationing  me  with  a  huge  stick  to  pre- 
vent the  team  from  following  him.  '  But  the  dogs  had 
seen  the  deer,  and  came  howling  on  in  hot  pursuit,  their 
driver  doing  his  utmost  to  check  them.  Luckily  the  team 
was  a  very  small  one  of  only  seven  dogs,  and,  as  they 
dashed  into  the  path  that  we  had  taken,  I  struck  the 
leading  dog  a  blow  across  the  head  and  back,  which, 
ruffling  his  temper,  caused  him  to  turn  round  and  attack 
his  neighbor,  and  in  an  instant  the  whole  team  was  em- 
broiled in  a  "  free  and  easy."  Leaving  the  driver  to  re- 
store peace,  I  rejoined  my  team  five  hundred  yards  or  so 
to  the  rear,  and  shortly  afterwards  we  drove  into  Buru- 
loch. 

Fire  was  leaping  from  the  chimneys,  and  from  the  pe- 
culiar location  and  appearance  of  the  huts,  they  forcibly 
reminded  me  of  the  cabins  of  the  charcoal-burners.  So 
soon  as  it  was  known  that  a  stranger  had  arrived,  all  the 
inhabitants  crowded  to  the  hut  of  the  starosti,  crying 
out,  "  Tell  me,  tell  me ;  "  that  is,  "  Tell  me  the  news." 
Two  Yakuts  meeting,  and  while  yet  a  considerable  dis- 
tance apart,  promptly  start  to  hail  each  other  with,  "  Tell 
me,  tell  me."  In  this  manner,  without  knowledge  of  our 
civilized  scandal-monger,  the  penny  daily,  do  they  pass 
the  news  along  from  one  to  another,  and  it  is  amusing 
to  watch  the  sled  parties  encounter.  Driving  a  little  dis- 
tance past  each  other,  they  leisurely  stake  their  dogs  or 
deer,  meet  half-way,  come  to  a  full  stop,  take  off  their 
hoods  and  mittens,  gaze  solemnly  at  each  other  for  a  mo- 
ment, and  then  fall  to  kissing  on  cheek,  forehead,  or  lips, 
according  to  age  or  kinship ;  the  men  going  through  their 
11 


162  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

salutations  before  the  women.  They  then  replace  their 
hoods  and  mittens,  and,  sitting  down  on  the  snow,  draw 
forth  their  pipes,  tobacco  pouches,  and  flint,  steel,  and 
tinder  bags,  for  a  smoke,  using  a  small  quantity  of  to- 
bacco about  the  size  of  a  little  green  pea,  which,  indeed, 
is  an  equal  mixture  of  tobacco  and  bark  or  powdered 
wood.  The  small  pipe-bowl  is  either  of  brass  or  pewter, 
and  lashed  to  a  wooden  stem-piece,  taper,  and  made  in 
two  parts  for  convenience  ;  since,  having  no  means  to 
bore  a  tube,  they  first  fashion  the  stem  on  the  outside, 
and,  splitting  it  in  two,  cut  a  groove  down  the  centre  of 
each  half  and  then  lash  the  two  together,  —  it  being  thus 
left  easy  to  cleanse  the  stem.  And  when  two  old  cronies 
meet  on  their  journeyings,  or  when  the  native  feels  es- 
pecially well-disposed  towards  his  spouse,  he  unwraps 
his  pipe -stem,  separates  the  parts,  and  then  the  two  sit 
down  for  a  social  chat,  cleansing  the  stem  of  nicotine  by 
licking  it  with  their  tongues,  after  which  the  pieces  are 
put  together  and  fastened  for  a  smoke. 

My  reindeer  driver  repeated  our  story  as  he  had  heard 
it  from  Vasilli,  and  with  a  great  show  of  surprise  and 
sympathy  I  was,  at  length,  fed  and  put  to  bed.  There 
was  present  a  Yakut  copert,  who  very  much  fancied  my 
rifle,  and  wished  to  empty  a  good  portion  of  his  pack  for 
it,  provided  it  had  not  been  a  breech-loader.  He  did  not 
approve  of  the  style,  and  thought  the  bore  too  large,  but 
that  the  breech  might  be  closed  and  a  flint  lock  fitted  on. 
I  finally  turned  in  to  get  rid  of  my  trading  tormentor, 
and  was  (Hit  early  in  the  morning  ready  for  the  road. 

Madam  was  present,  but  the  proprietor  of  the  deer- 
teams  could  not  be  found.  The  poor  woman  was  anxious 
to  see  me.  off,  for  my  driver  from  the  last  station  had  in- 
formed her  that  I  must  travel  forward  without  delay, 
and  she  was  alarmed  at  my  impatient  and  persistent  de- 
mands to  pi  dome,  coupled  with  some  forcible,  if  not 
polite,  expressions  in  rude  Anglo-Saxon.     Presently  a 


AT  BEL  UN.  163 

driver  with  sleds  and  deer  appeared  on  the  scene,  and 
we  were  soon  dashing  towards  Belun.  I  left  my  hostess 
suckling  a  hulking  big  boy  about  five  years  old,  who  had 
thrust  bis  head  beneath  his  mother's  deer-skin  shirt  for 
another  pull  at  the  life-giving  element.  This  is  a  cus- 
tom among  the  Yakut  women,  to  suckle  their  children 
until  one  pushes  the  other  away  from  the  breast,  and 
very  often  two  or  three  of  different  ages  derive  nourish- 
ment from  the  same  source. 

It  was  almost  dark  when  we  approached  the  village  of 
Belun.  My  driver  rested  his  team  a  short  distance  from 
the  village,  and  then  with  a  grand  flourish  dashed  into  it 
and  up  to  the  starosti's,  or  public  povamia,  a  series  of 
low  huts  attached  to  the  public  building,  which  was  of 
more  pretentious  dimensions.  As  we  drew  up,  the  word 
was  passed  that  a  stranger  had  arrived,  and  immediately 
the  people  flocked  around  us.  My  driver  told  some  of 
the  loungers  who  I  was,  and  where  I  wanted  to  go, 
whereupon  several  of  them  bustled  ahead  of  me,  and 
opened  an  outer  door,  but  refrained  from  touching  an 
inner  one  which  opened  into  the  apartment  where  were 
my  two  comrades,  Nindemann  and  Noros.  Pausing  an 
instant,  I  pushed  open  the  door,  which  was  covered  on 
one  side  with  deer-ski n,  and  on  the  other  with  woolen 
felting  to  keep  out  the  cold.  I  was  clothed  as  I  had 
been  when  last  seen  by  my  comrades,  save  for  the  addi- 
tion of  a  light  deer-skin  shirt  over  my  old  jacket ;  and  I 
remained  silently  standing  for  a  brief  spell  in  the  apart- 
ment to  see  if  Noros  would  recognize  me.  He  stood  up 
facing  me,  behind  a  rude  table,  not  more  than  ten  feet 
oil,  holding  in  one  hand  a  loaf  of  black  bread,  which  he 
was  in  the  act  of  cutting  with  a  sheath-knife  when  I  en- 
tered. Nindemann  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  A  dim  li<>-ht 
straggled  through  an  ice-glazed  window  in  the  rear  of 
Noros,  and  to  the  left,  around  a  fire  in  a  small  alcove,  a 
number  of  Yakuts  were  cooking  their  supper.    At  my 


164  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

entrance  Noros  glanced  up  from  his  bread,  but  did  not 
know  me,  and  was  about  to  resume  operations  on  the 
loaf,  when  — 

"  Halloa,  Noros  !  "  said  I.  "  How  do  you  do  ?  "  at  the 
same  time  advancing  towards  him  with  outstretched 
hand. 

"My  God!  Mr.  Melville,"  he  exclaimed,  "are  you 
alive  ?  "  And  then,  Nindemann,  hearing  my  voice,  arose 
from  a  roughly  made  bed  and  cried  out :  — 

"  We  thought  you  were  all  dead,  and  that  we  were 
the  only  two  left  alive  ;  we  were  sure  the  '  whale-boat's  ' 
were  all  dead,  and  the  '  second  cutter's,'  too." 

As  soon  as  I  could  control  my  feelings,  I  told  them 
that  we  of  the  whale-boat  were  all  alive  and  well,  and  had 
mourned  our  comrades  of  the  first  and  second  cutters  as 
lost ;  that  I  had  been  trying  to  reach  Belun  for  the  pre- 
vious thirty  days ;  that  it  was  my  messenger,  Kusma, 
whom  they  had  met  and  who  had  carried  their  pencil 
message  to  me ;  and  that  I  had  hurried  forward  immedi- 
ately upon  its  receipt,  in  order  to  obtain  information  of 
the  whereabouts  of  De  Long  and  party.  At  this  we  all 
broke  down,  Nindemann  and  Noros  declaring  that  it  was 
useless  to  search  for  their  companions,  who  had  died  long 
ago  ;  that  they  had  parted  from  them  twenty-five  days 
before,  and  for  several  days  previous  to  their  separation 
they  had  had  absolutely  nothing  to  eat,  having  subsisted 
on  their  skin  clothing,  and  the  alcohol,  sweet-oil,  and 
glycerine  from  the  medical  stores  ;  each  man  receiving 
but  a  couple  of  ounces  of  alcohol  per  day,  with  a  tea- 
spoonful  of  oil  or  glycerine  while  either  lasted  ;  and  that 
finally,  at  parting,  De  Long  had  divided  the  alcohol 
equally  around,  and  started  them  on  a  forced  march 
along  the  west  bank  of  the  river  to  a  settlement,  distant, 
he  supposed,  about  twenty-five  miles. 

They  told  me  of  their  great  and  many  sufferings  ;  how 
they  had  eaten  their  dog,  and  managed  to  crawl  along  a 


1.  Nindemann  and  Noros  starting  ahead  in  search  of  help.     2.  The  meeting  between 
Melville  and  Niudeuiaun  and  Noros.    3.  Deer  teams. 


AT  BELUN.  165 

few  yards  at  a  time ;  how  Ericksen  had  died  and  been 
buried  in  the  river ;  and  how  De  Long,  seeing  that  his 
party  could  not  struggle  on  in  a  body,  had  selected  the 
best  two  men  for  travel,  Nindemann  and  Iversen,  but  as 
Iversen  had  complained  the  day  before  of  frost-bitten 
feet,  Noros  was  detailed  instead.  Nindemann  was  in- 
structed to  journey  forward  as  rapidly  as  possible,  keep- 
ing the  west  bank  of  the  river,  but  if  he  found  succor  of 
any  kind,  to  return  to  the  party,  who  meanwhile  would 
follow  in  his  footsteps.  He  left  them  camped  on  the 
bank  of  a  small  river  running  northwest  from  one  of  the 
main  branches,  and  followed  the  west  bank  to  a  great 
bay,  when,  true  to  his  instructions,  he  continued  around 
it  to  the  westward,  and  thence  in  an  easterly  direction  to 
the  river  proper,  where  it  opens  out  from  between  the 
mountains  into  the  wide  bay  which  finally  brought  De 
Long  and  his  party  to  a  stand-still. 

This  and  a  great  deal  more  they  told  me,  beginning 
again  and  again,  from  their  landing  on  the  shore  of  the 
Arctic  Ocean  to  the  time  of  their  arrival  at  Belun. 
Nindemann  had  a  short  section  of  a  chart  which  Mr.  Col- 
lins had  copied  for  him  from  the  small  chart  in  De  Long's 
possession,  and  which  I  recognized  as  similar  in  part  to 
my  own  copy.  I  then  made  from  their  description  a 
rough  map  of  the  region  north  and  south  of  De  Long's 
probable  position,  as  a  guide  for  my  search.  It  was  out 
of  the  question  for  either  Nindemann  or  Noros  to  accom- 
pany me ;  for,  leaving  aside  the  difficulties  of  transpor- 
tation and  food,  both  were  so  sick  as  to  be  barely  able  to 
walk,  vomiting  and  purging  violently,  —  the  effects  of 
having  gorged  themselves  with  some  decayed  fish  refuse 
which  they  had  found  at  a  hut  called  Bulcour.  They 
complained  bitterly  of  the  treatment  they  had  received 
at  the  hands  of  the  starosti  and  natives  :  having:  been 
furnished  with  a  very  limited  supply  of  black  bread  by 
the  young  priest  of  the  village,  and  with  nothing  but 


166  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

smoke-dried  fish,  although  there  was  plenty  of  fresh  fish 
and  venison  to  be  had. 

I  slept  in  the  povarnia  with  my  two  comrades  and  a 
number  of  natives  the  first  night ;  but,  before  turning  in, 
I  started  a  telegram  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  a  copy 
of  it  to  the  United  States  Minister  at  St.  Petersburg, 
and  another  to  Mr.  James  Gordon  Bennett.  This  mes- 
sage I  first  wrote  out  in  English,  and  then,  after  a  man- 
ner, translated  for  the  young  priest,  who  finally  wrote  it 
out  in  Russian.  I  then  sealed  it  across  the  back  with  two 
feathers  to  indicate  that  it  must  fly,  and  saw  the  messen- 
ger off  with  it.  Next  day  I  diligently  busied  myself  in 
adding  to  the  comforts  of  my  two  sick  companions. 
Noros  had  discovered  a  couple  of  good  vacant  huts  in  the 
village ;  so  together  we  visited  the  young  priest,  who 
said,  however,  that  he  was  very  poor,  having  given  the 
two  men  all  the  provisions  he  could  spare,  and  that  he 
had  no  authority  to  compel  others  to  do  the  same.  He 
accompanied  me  to  the  vacant  houses,  but  would  not 
dare  to  enter  them  ;  so  I  told  him  I  would  do  as  I  pleased, 
the  American  government  would  pay,  and  that  General 
Tschernaieff,  the  Governor-General  of  the  district,  was  a 
soldier,  and  would  not  permit  any  soldiers  of  the  United 
States  to  suffer.  Whereupon  I  placed  my  shoulder  against 
the  door  of  a  hut,  and,  bursting  it  open,  invited  him  in. 
At  first  he  was  a  little  alarmed,  saying  the  hut  belonged 
to  a  rich  copert,  who  might  claim  damages  from  him*,  but 
I  allayed  his  fears  by  saying  that  I  would  be  responsi- 
ble ;  and  then  calling  upon  the  Yakut  starosti,  I  told 
him  that  I  must  be  furnished  at  once  with  pots,  pans, 
kettles,  and  other  housekeeping  utensils  for  Nindemann 
and  Noros,  together  with  plenty  of  bread  and  venison  for 
them  to  eat.  I  also  ordered  him  to  have  a  native  haul 
wood  and  keep  the  fire  going  for  the  two  sick  men. 
Then,  having  attended  to  these  and  many  other  kindred 
things,  I  finally,  when  the  hut  had  been  well  warmed, 


AT  BELUN.  167 

directed  the  men  to  take  possession  of  it,  and  having  seen 
them  properly  installed,  I  left  them  to  the  tender  mercies 
of  the  women,  who  dropped  in  "  to  fix  things,"  and  ac- 
companied the  young  priest  to  the  house  of  the  old 
priest,  who  had  prepared  some  dinner  for  me. 

I  told  my  story  to  him  as  best  I  could,  but,  owing  to 
the  obscuration  of  his  mind  from  a  deep  and  long-con- 
tinued debauch,  my  task  was  a  very  difficult  and  thank- 
less one.  However,  he  treated  me  kindly,  and  promised 
a  reindeer  the  next  day  as  food  for  myself  and  men.  I 
now  found  myself  becalmed,  as  it  were,  and  unable  to 
move  until  the  return  of  Bieshoff,  the  Cossack  command- 
ant, who  alone  had  the  authority  to  furnish  me  with  the 
necessary  outfit  for  my  search  for  De  Long  and  party. 
Nindemann  told  me  that  immediately  upon  his  arrival  at 
Belun  he  had  prepared  a  message  which  he  wished  to 
have  sent  to  the  United  States  minister  at  St.  Petersburg. 
Bieshoff  said,  "  Yes,  yes,"  took  the  message  and  put  it 
in  his  pouch  to  carry  to  me.  For  Kusma  had  seen  him 
meanwhile  and  informed  him  of  myself  and  party, 
making  in  all  eleven  men  ;  and  since  Nindemann  had 
spoken  of  De  Long  and  party  as  a  company  of  eleven, 
here  was  a  coincidence  strengthened  by  Kusma's  refer- 
ence to  me  as  "  Captain,"  which  had  led  Bieshoff  to 
confound  me  with  De  Long  and  believe  both  parties  to 
be  one  and  the  same.  So  he  took  Nindemann's  message 
and  hurried  away  to  my  relief  at  Jamaveloch,  where 
he  learned  of  my  departure  with  the  intention  of  inter- 
cepting him  on  the  road.  On  his  journey  he  had  found 
so  little  snow  on  the  mountains,  that  the  reindeer  teams 
he  took  with  him  would  not  be  available  for  the  trans- 
portation of  the  party,  and  so  he  sent  them  back  to 
Belnn. 

Nindemann's  letter  he  gave  to  Mr.  Danenhower,  who 
apparently  regarded  it  as  a  most  important  communica- 
tion, for  he  dispatched  Bartlett  with  it  to  me  at  once, 


168  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

notwithstanding  that  I  was  then  in  personal  contact  with 
the  man  who  wrote  it. 

I  was  dining  with  the  priest,  when  an  old  woman 
entered  the  house  in  a  state  of  great  excitement,  and 
announced  that  another  American  had  arrived  in  the 
village.  I  started  immediately  for  the  Balogan  Ameri- 
canski,  as  our  habitation  was  called,  and  there  found 
Bartlett.  To  be  sure  I  was  pleased  to  see  him,  though 
disappointed  to  find  none  of  the  others  with  him,  and 
particularly  Bieshoff,  whose  assistance  I  so  sorely  needed 
in  fitting  out  the  relief  expedition  for  my  missing  ship- 
mates ;  although  assured  over  and  over  again  by  Ninde- 
mann  and  Noros  that  they  were  dead,  and  that  it  would 
be  useless  and  perilous  to  seek  for  their  bodies  before 
spring-time.  But  the  reader  may  imagine  my  astonish- 
ment when,  asking  Bartlett  what  had  occasioned  his  hot 
pursuit  of  me,  he  answered  that  Mr.  Danenhower  had 
forwarded  him  with  Nindemann's  old  communication  to 
the  United  States  minister  at  St.  Petersburg. 

So  I  had  some  additional  conversation  with  Ninde- 
mann,  finishing  my  written  description  of  his  journey 
after  leaving  De  Long,  and  had  almost  completed  my 
chart,  when  the  starosti  of  the  village  and  the  young 
priest  entered  our  hut,  the  latter  bearing  a  letter,  which, 
he  said,  had  been  written  by  Bieshoff,  directing  him  to 
order  the  starosti  to  furnish  me  with  two  deer-sleds  in 
order  that  I  might  meet  him,  Bieshoff,  on  the  morrow"  or 
the  day  following  at  Buruloch,  where,  in  the  mean  time, 
he  would  fit  out  two  dog-sleds  and  guides  to  convey  me 
north  on  the  search  for  De  Long.  I  had  seen  two  of  the 
three  natives  who  had  found  Nindemann  and  Noros  in  the 
hut  at  Bulcour.  One  of  them,  Tomat  Constantine,  was 
Golivar  Candidat  (head  candidate)  of  North  Belun,  and 
consequently  a  man  of  authority  among  his  people  ;  and 
as  he  knew  the  location  of  Bulcour,  and  likewise  of  the 
hut  described  by  Nindemann  as  the  "  place  of  the  sleighs," 


AT  BELUN.  169 

that  is,  a  hut  where  a  number  of  sleighs  was  stored,  I 
selected  him  as  one  of  my  guides. 

I  then  prepared  a  letter  to  Mr.  Danenhower,  in  which 
I  directed  him  to  take  all  the  men  as  far  south  as 
Yakutsk,  and  there  await  my  arrival ;  but  at  the  same 
time  I  told  Bartlett  to  remain  at  Belun  until  I  returned 
from  my  northern  trip,  saying  that  I  would  direct  Mr. 
Danenhower  verbally  to  leave  him  behind  when  he 
started  for  Yakutsk,  in  order  that  I  might  have  some  one 
to  look  me  up  if  I  failed  to  return  to  Belun  within  thirty 
days.  And  then  bidding  them  all  good-by,  I  left  for 
Buruloch,  where  I  arrived  late  that  night;  it  having 
taken  me  nearly  twelve  hours  to  traverse  the  eighty 
versts,  whereas  I  had  previously  made  the  distance  in 
eight  hours.  For  the  snow  had  deepened  and  the  winter 
storms  had  set  fairly  in. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
SEARCHING  FOR  DE  LONG. 

Bieshoff .  —  Poor  Jack  Cole.  —  I  start  in  quest  of  De  Long.  —  At  Ku 
Mark  Surt  again.  —  How  to  eat  Raw  Fish.  —  The  Maiden  with  the 
Lively  Tresses.  —  Bulcour.  —  "  The  Place  of  the  Three  Crosses."  — 
Sleeping  in  the  Snow.  —  Mat  Vay.  —  A  Clue. 

When  I  arrived  at  Buruloch,  my  feet  and  legs  had 
swollen  to  nearly  double  their  healthy  size,  and  the  new 
skin  had  arisen  in  large  blisters  rilled  with  water.  I 
emptied  them,  and  the  old  woman  greased  my  legs  with 
goose  grease.  Next  morning  I  was  up  and  out  in  good 
time,  anxiously  looking  for  the  arrival  of  Bieshoff  and 
my  party.  An  hour  or  so  before  noon  the  yelping  and 
baying  of  the  dogs  announced  their  coming,  and  soon  I 
was  being  introduced  to  Bieshoff,  a  fine  specimen  of  Cos- 
sack manhood,  very  large  of  stature,  of  a  commanding 
presence  and  quiet  demeanor.  We  had  a  general  hand- 
shaking all  around,  and  breakfast  together ;  and  then, 
much  to  my  sorrow,  I  learned  for  the  first  time  that  poor 
Jack  Cole  had  become  demented.  He  had  apparently 
lost  all  trace  of  time  and  circumstance,  asking  me  if  I 
thought  we  would  see  the  captain  in  a  few  days,  and  say- 
ing that  he  was  tired  of  the  strange,  mysterious  fellows 
who  were  in  that  county,  and  believed  he  would  like  to 
go  and  see  the  "old  woman."  At  this  time  he  was  per- 
fectly tractable,  although  Mr.  Danenhower  told  me  that 
he  had  been  occasionally  obstinate,  and  that  on  the  way 
from  Jamaveloch  it  was  with  great  difficulty  he  could  be 


SEARCHING  FOR  DE  LONG.  171 

kept  on  the  sled,  having  once,  indeed,  dropped  off  quietly 
without  any  one  missing  him  until  they  had  gone  a 
considerable  distance,  when  driving  back  they  found  him 
lying  in  the  snow.  He  had  now  become  quite  a  charge, 
requiring  one  man's  constant  attention  and  care.  I  was 
not  altogether  unprepared  for  this,  since  I  had  noticed 
during  the  last  few  weeks  that  Jack  had  grown  so  fool- 
ish in  the  repairing  of  his  clothes,  needlessly  wasting  the 
thread  and  needles,  that  the  sailors  had  taken  those  arti- 
cles away  from  him. 

I  was  delighted  to  meet  again  my  good  friend  Vasilli 
Kool  Gar,  who  had  driven  over  one  of  the  sleds  from 
Jamaveloch ;  and  I  hastened  to  secure  him  as  one  of  my 
own  drivers  on  the  search.  I  had  learned  by  this  time 
that  the  limit  of  a  dog-team's  endurance  is  about  ten 
days ;  so  Bieshoff  set  diligently  about  equipping  me  for 
that  space  of  time,  providing  me  with  two  teams  of 
eleven  dogs  each,  two  drivers,  and  ten  days'  supply  of 
food  for  all  of  us.  With  everything  satisfactorily  ar- 
ranged, and  bidding  good-by  to  my  friends,  who  were  to 
pass  the  night  at  Buruloch  and  proceed  next  morning  to- 
wards Belun,  Verkeransk,  and  Yakutsk,  I  set  out  for  Ku 
Mark  Sui't,  where  that  night  I  arrived  and  rested,  full  of 
hopes  and  fears  for  the  future,  —  hoping  for  the  best,  yet 
fearing  the  worst.  From  Nindemann's  story,  I  had  very 
little  hope,  if  any,  of  finding  my  comrades  alive ;  but,  if 
dead,  I  might  yet  be  able  to  prevent  the  destruction  of 
their  bodies  by  the  few  ravenous  animals  of  these  re- 
gions. 

My  intention  was  to  follow  the  back-track,  if  possible, 
until  I  came  up  with  the  party,  dead  or  alive ;  pursuing 
the  west  bank  of  the  river  to  the  northward,  guided  by 
the  notes  I  had  taken  from  my  conversations  with  Nin- 
deinann,  until  I  arrived  at  the  point  on  the  Arctic  Ocean 
where,  after  landing,  they  had  made  a  cache  of  their 
books,  papers,  chronometers,  and  other  articles. 


172  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

My  old  friends  at  Ku  Mark  Surt  seemed  pleased  to 
see  me,  and  I  was  doubly  welcome  because  of  a  little 
salt  that  I  brought  from  Belun.  The  old  lady  of  the  es- 
tablishment earnestly  requested  me  to  examine  her  son's 
paralyzed  legs,  in  the  hope  that  I  might  be  able  to  cure 
or  relieve  him ;  for  she  had  been  told  that  at  Moscow, 
where  the  Czar  was,  he  could  be  made  whole  and  strong 
again.  But  I  said  he  was  now  too  old,  I  feared,  the 
misfortune  having  occurred  in  his  youth.  They  all  un- 
derstood me  very  well,  — 

"  Baranchuck,  bar,  bar  ;  mooshina,  soak  ; "  that  is,  "  If 
a  baby,  yes,  yes;  but  a  man,  no."  And  all  the  family 
joined  with  the  poor  cripple  in  sighing  out,  "  Mooshina, 
soak."  After  a  supper  of  tea  and  boiled  fish,  we  crawled 
into  our  berths,  and  were  out  of  them  early  the  next 
morning.  While  the  members  of  the  family  busied  them- 
selves in  the  preparation  of  breakfast,  I  had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  witnessing  some  of  their  internal  household 
economics.  Such  fish  as  were  to  be  boiled  were  first 
thawed  out  before  the  fire,  and  then  properly  scaled, 
cleansed,  cut  in  satisfactory  lengths,  and  placed  in  a 
kettle  near  the  fire,  where  they  might  simmer,  but  never 
be  allowed  to  boil.  Fish  to  be  eaten  raw  are  selected 
for  their  delicate  fatness,  and  while  hard-frozen  briefly 
exposed  to  the  heat  and  turned  quickly  so  as  to  only 
thaw  the  skin.  Then  by  a  few  dexterous  cuts  of  the 
knife,  the  dorsal  fin  and  a  narrow  strip  of  the  belly-skin 
are  removed,  and  the  skin  raised  at  the  tail  and  cut  up 
to  or  near  the  gills,  when  it  is  caught  at  the  tail  be- 
tween the  teeth,  and,  with  one  jerk,  peeled  to  the  head, 
the  opposite  side  of  the  fish  sharing  the  same  fate. 
These  skins  are  cured,  dried,  and  worked  up  into  water- 
proof bags,  wherein  the  natives  store  their  tinder,  shav- 
ings, and  sleeping-gear,  while  traveling. 

The  tea-kettle  was  put  on,  and  several  gallons  of  boil- 
ing water  made  ;  the  stranger's  particular  little  tea-pot 


SEARCHING  FOR  DE  LONG.  173 

being  filled  and  a  quantity  of  tea  begged  for  the  family. 
The  raw,  frozen  fish  were  then  cut  down  in  thin  slices ; 
the  fat  back  and  belly-pieces,  however,  being  carved  into 
short,  thick  morsels,  and  turned  towards  the  guest  as 
choice  tid-bits  of  savory  sweetness ;  and  with  this  dish 
the  meal  began.  While  breakfast  was  in  course  of  prep- 
aration, I  had  noticed  with  interest  that  the  natives,  old 
and  young,  performed  their  morning  ablutions  by  taking 
a  large  mouthful  of  water,  spurting  it  into  their  hands, 
and  then  rubbing  their  faces,  —  the  little  chicks,  four  or 
five  years  old,  along  with  the  rest.  Afterwards,  the 
young  lady  of  the  household,  aged  fourteen  or  fifteen, 
began  combing  her  jet-black  tresses.  The  natives  manu- 
facture their  combs  from  the  fossil  ivory  of  the  mam- 
moth, managing  to  turn  out  very  creditable  work,  con- 
sidering their  rude  means  —  the  ever-handy  and  useful 
sheath-knife,  made  in  the  shape  of  a  single-edged  dirk. 

I  observed  that  the  young  lady,  after  letting  down  her 
hair,  set  about  arranging  on  her  lap  a  circular  wooden 
platter  or  tray  about  eighteen  inches  in  diameter,  with 
an  edge  raised  around  it  like  the  lid  of  a  Yankee  cheese- 
box.  I  likewise  took  notice  that  it  was  the  veritable 
platter  which  had  been  used  to  hold  the  raw  fish  on  my 
previous  visit  to  the  hut,  and  from  which  we  had  all 
eaten  our  food.  Hair  and  lid  properly  adjusted  for  the 
combing,  that  operation  began,  and  continued  with  an 
expertness  only  attainable  by  long  practice.  A  down- 
ward stroke  of  the  comb  through  the  hair ;  a  sharp, 
short  knock  on  the  lap-board  for  the  purpose  of  remov- 
ing any  obstruction  there  might  have  been  in  the  teeth 
of  the  comb,  or  of  releasing,  perhaps,  any  prisoner  held 
in  its  narrow  meshes;  a  circular  sweep'  of  the  comb 
around  the  periphery  of  the  lid  towards  its  edge,  with  a 
partial  sweep  to  the  right  and  left,  which  brought  any- 
thing that  might  have  been  there  to  the  centre  of  the 
lid ;  then  a  quick,  decisive  thrust  with  the  flat  portion  of 


174  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

the  comb,  which  was  apparently  an  effort  to  crush  or 
blot  out  some  creeping  thing  ;  and  finally,  the  remains 
being  brushed  into  the  fire  where  simmered  our  break- 
fast,  the  lid  thus  cleaned  was  ready  for  service  as  platter 
for  the  frozen  sliced  fish.  These  were  heaped  upon  it, 
and  all  the  male  members  of  the  family  at  once  began 
the  attack.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  although  I  fur- 
nished the  salt,  still,  on  this  occasion,  I  did  not  care  for 
frozen  fish,  and  held  my  appetite  in  check  until  the  sec- 
ond course,  of  boiled  fish ;  for  although  there  had  been  no 
lid  on  the  pot,  yet  since  the  old  woman  had  kept  skim- 
ming off  the  scum  which  arose  to  the  surface,  it  seemed 
likely  to  me  that  in  doing  so  she  had  managed  to  rescue 
the  hair  or  any  other  thing  which  may  have  fallen  in. 

With  breakfast  over,  the  dogs  were  hitched,  and  we 
started  on  our  journey  in  a  blinding  snow-storm.  It  was 
fifty-five  versts  to  Bulcour,  where  Nindemann  and  Noros 
had  been  found  ;  old  Tomat  Constantine  knew  the  place, 
and  so  there  was  no  doubt  of  our  ability  to  take  up  with 
the  first  landmark  on  our  backward  track.  It  is  impos- 
sible for  me  to  adequately  describe  our  progress  along 
the  bed  of  the  river  ;  crossing  and  recrossing  it  to  find 
a  path  among  the  chevaux  de  frise  of  jammed  ice ; 
tumbling  over,  upsetting,  hauling,  and  pleading  witli  the 
dogs,  which,  in  turn,  plead  with  each  other  in  such  a  way 
as  to  make  the  fur  fly.  A  strong  westerly  wind  cut  our 
faces,  and  it  was  very  cold.  My  feet  and  legs  had  again 
begun  to  swell,  until  my  moccasins  grew  tight  to  bursting. 

They  did  not  pain  me,  for  all  feeling  seemed  to  have 
forsaken  them,  but  what  troubled  me  most  was  that  I 
had  lost  all  control  of  them,  and,  being  unable  to  stand 
up,  much  more  to  walk,  I  was  forced  to  forego  the  exercise 
that  would  have  prevented  the  blistering  of  my  limbs, 
which  comes  of  suppressed  circulation,  and  consequently 
the  tighter  my  moccasins  became  with  the  swelling,  the 
more  severe  became  the  frost-bite,  each  additional  chill 


SEARCHING   FOR   BE  LONG.  175 

acting  as  a  further  check  to  the  diffusion  of  blood.  It 
was  long  after  day  when  we  arrived  at  Bulcoitr.  The 
place  consists  of  two  huts  and  a  store-house  ;  one  of  the 
huts  being  a  balogan,  and  the  other  a  palatka,  —  which 
have  this  difference,  that  the  former  is  a  frustum  of  a 
regular  pyramid,  from  four  to  seven  feet  high,  covered 
with  earth,  and  having  a  hole  in  the  centre  of  the  top  for 
the  escape  of  smoke,  etc.,  while  the  latter  is  a  regular 
pyramid,  with  a  square  frame-work  inside  near  the  top, 
against  which  the  poles  rest,  and  through  which  the 
smoke  finds  an  exit.  A  small  river  makes  out  into  the 
Lena  proper  from  the  northwest,  between  steep  banks 
probably  a  hundred  yards  apart,  so  steep  as  to  be  very 
difficult  of  ascent,  and  this,  too,  at  an  abrupt  bend  of  the 
Lena,  where  it  swerves  from  east  northeast  to  north. 
The  balogan  is  pitched  on  the  northwest  bank  of  this 
little  stream,  the  palatka  on  the  northeast,  together  with 
the  detached  store-house,  which  can  be  more  properly 
described  as  a  square  box  of  ten  or  twelve  feet,  raised 
slightly  above  the  ground  on  stilts  or  blocks.  These  two 
structures  are  nearest  the  main  river,  but  are  set  so  high 
up  and  far  back  that  it  is  a  wonder  to  me  Nindemann 
and  Noros  saw  them  at  all ;  indeed,  the  men  were  on  the 
point  of  returning  to  the  "  place  of  the  sleighs,"  some 
twenty  miles  to  the  northward,  there  to  lie  clown  and 
die,  when,  going  out  on  the  bed  of  the  river  from  under 
the  bank,  one  of  them  descried  the  palatka  and  store- 
house, and,  of  course,  they  at  once  sought  shelter  there. 
This  is  one  of  the  favorite  fishing  stations  of  the  natives 
for  certain  runs  of  small  fish.  It  was  abandoned  for  the 
season,  but  the  natives  had  left  some  of  their  nets  and 
other  gear  behind  ;  and  Nindemann  and  Noros  had 
searched  everywhere,  without  success,  for  food.  In  the 
store-house,  however,  they  came  upon  a  lot  of  mouldy 
fish,  which  the  natives  had  pulverized  and  heated  for  the 
purpose  of  extracting  the  oil  for  their  lamps,  and  though 


176  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

this  refuse  was  decomposed  and  covered  with,  mould, 
yet  there  was  nothing  else  to  be  had  ;  the  men  had  been 
long  without  food,  having  only  caught  a  lemming,  or  tail- 
less rat,  several  days  before,  which  they  roasted  and  ate, 
hair  and  all  ;  so  it  was  quite  natural  that  they  should 
try  to  satisfy  their  hunger  with  the  fish  offal,  which 
would,  at  least,  distend  their  empty  stomachs. 

Accordingly  they  devoured  a  portion  of  the  mess  as  they 
found  it,  and  then  starting  a  fire  in  the  2:>a^a^cai  brewed 
some  willow  tea  and  warmed  themselves.  Afterwards 
they  placed  several  large  flat  stones  over  the  fire,  on 
which  to  cook  or  heat  the  putrid  mass,  but  it  was  not  as 
palatable  as  when  cold  or  frozen.  A  scarcity  of  wood 
compelled  them  to  burn  considerable  of  the  interior  wood- 
work of  the  hut,  as  well  as  an  old  canoe ;  and  they  tar- 
ried here  for  a  day  or  two,  trying  to  recuperate  their 
strength,  and  feeding  on  the  offal,  which  soon  sickened 
them  so  that  they  were  fearful  lest  they  should  "be  dis- 
abled from  continuing  their  journey.  Summoning,  there- 
fore, all  their  remaining  powers  of  endurance,  they 
filled  their  pouches  and  skull-caps  with  the  rotten  fish, 
and  started  forward  towards  the  settlement  which  they 
had  hoped  to  reach  long  before,  but  which  was  really 
fifty-five  versts  beyond.  It  was  very  cold,  and  a  cruel 
wind  was  blowing,  and,  in  a  little  while,  Noros  com- 
plained that  he  was  so  sick  and  weak  from  frequent  purg- 
ing, vomiting,  and  previous  exposure,  that  he  could  then 
proceed  no  further,  and  begged  Nindemann  to  turn  back 
for  at  least  one  day  more. 

This  they  did,  and  while  Nindemann  was  busy  repair- 
ing his  moccasins  inside  the  hut,  he  heard  a  strange  rus- 
tling noise  without.  Hunger  had  rendered  their  sense  of 
hearing  doubly  keen,  and  Nindemann,  thinking  that  a 
reindeer  was  at  hand,  seized  his  gun,  charged  it,  and  ap- 
proaching the  door  was  about  to  peer  out,  when  sud- 
denly it  opened  and  he  stood  face  to  face  with  a  Yakut. 


SEARCHING  FOR  BE  LONG.  177 

Naturally  his  first  impulse  was  to  embrace  his  savior  ;  but 
that  honest  worthy  seeing  the  mere  spectre  of  a  man, 
ragged,  emaciated,  frost-bitten,  smoke-grimed,  his  face 
covered  with  scabs,  and  a  gun  held  at  "ready"  in  his 
hands,  fell  back  in  dismay,  and  sinking  on  his  knees 
begged  Nindemann  not  to  shoot.  To  drop  the  gun  and 
embrace  the  friendly  visitor  was  the  act  of  an  instant, 
and  then  they  drew  him  into  their  hut,  —  his  hut,  for 
it  was  Ivan  Androsouff,  the  proprietor,  who  had  left  his 
nets  in  the  store-house,  waiting  for  the  ice  to  make,  and 
had  then  come  to  carry  them  with  him  on  a  fishing  ex- 
cursion up  one  of  the  northwest  discharges  of  the  river. 

This  lucky  incident  saved  their  lives,  for,  instead  of 
recovering,  they  were  wasting  their  little  strength  while 
feeding  on  the  putrid  fish,  the  condition  of  their  bowels 
being  such  that  they  would  soon  have  been  unable  to 
crawl.  The  Yakut  was  not  a  little  alarmed  at  his  situa- 
tion, for  he  mistook  the  two  men  to  be  escaped  exiles, 
whom  it  was  his  duty  to  capture,  under  penalty  of  being 
flogged.  However,  they  made  Ivan  understand  that  they 
were  very  hungry,  exhibiting  the  fish  refuse  of  which 
they  had  been  eating,  and  proffering  him  some ;  but  he 
turned  aside  in  disgust,  telling  them  to  throw  it  away. 

Parleying  a  while,  he  signified  that  he  would  go  off 
and  return  soon  with  assistance ;  and  ere  they  could  col- 
lect their  wits  he  held  up  three  fingers  and  left  them. 
When  he  had  gone,  Nindemann  said  he  was  in  doubt 
whether  the  three  fingers  were  intended  to  mean  three 
miles,  three  hours,  or  three  days ;  and  so  he  upbraided 
himself  for  having  allowed  the  native  to  depart.  Still, 
in  several  hours  Ivan  returned  with  two  companions  and 
a  couple  of  deer-teams,  and  carried  the  men  away  to  a 
hut  in  the  woods,  where  there  was  a  woman  with  chil- 
dren. Here  they  tried  to  make  the  natives  comprehend 
that  they  had  recently  left  the  captain  and  party  in  a 
starving  condition  to  the  northward ;  but  with  their  own 

12 


178  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

sufferings  and  the  remembrance  of  their  comrades'  sad 
lot,  they  completely  broke  down,  and  mingled  their  tears 
with  those  of  the  gentle-hearted  natives,  who,  believing 
that  the  men  were  anxious  to  reach  Belun,  urged  them 
to  sleep  first,  and  then,  in  the  morning,  they  would  all 
push  forward. 

Next  day  they  started  for  Belun,  the  worthy  natives 
loaning  them  clothes  for  the  journey.  Poor  Nindemann 
did  his  utmost  to  explain  that  they  must  go  back  and 
save  the  captain  and  party,  but  to  no  purpose ;  the  na- 
tives persisted  in  the  belief  that  he  desired  to  hurry  on ; 
and  it  was  during  their  progress  to  Belun  that  they  en- 
countered Kusma,  my  messenger,  returning  to  Jamave- 
loch. 

I  was  rejoiced  to  seek  refuge  in  the  palatka  at  Bul- 
cour.  Our  dogs  were  unable  to  scale  the  steep  bank  with 
the  loaded  sleds,  so  I  crawled  up  on  my  hands  and  knees 
before  the  natives  succeeded  in  elevating  the  teams.  The 
wind  had  strengthened  to  almost  a  gale,  and  when  the 
dogs  had  been  staked  on  the  leeward  side  of  the  hut,  and 
fed,  Tomat  and  Vasilli  set  diligently  about,  and  soon  had 
a  fire  blazing  in  the  centre  of  the  hut.  They  carried  up 
ice  from  the  river  to  use  in  boiling  our  tea  and  fish  ;  for 
the  natives  believe,  with  whalemen,  that  snow-water 
breeds  scurvy ;  and  I  have  seen  them  travel  more  than  a 
mile  for  ice,  when  there  was  an  abundance  of  snow  at 
hand.  Soon  we  had  our  supper  of  hot  tea  and  boiled  fish, 
and  I  delighted  my  two  companions  by  presenting  each 
with  a  small  lump  of  sugar,  given  to  me  by  Bieshoff,  and 
which  neither  used,  but  stored  away  for  home  use.  As 
the  hut  warmed  up,  we  hunted  around  among  the  ashes 
of  the  fire-place  and  found  several  little  articles  that  had 
been  left  or  lost  by  Nindemann  and  Noros  ;  and  these 
fully  identified  the  place,  and  satisfied  me  that  I  was  now 
on  the  right  trail. 

The  numbness   and  insensibility   of   my  legs  shortly 


SEARCHING  FOR  BE  LONG.  179 

gave  way  to  the  most  excruciating  pains.  I  withdrew 
my  feet  as  far  as  possible  from  the  fire,  and  thrust  them 
into  the  snow  which  covered  the  floor  of  the  hut,  but 
without  experiencing  any  relief.  I  dared  not  remove  my 
moccasins,  for  the  swelling  had  so  increased  that  I  feared 
lest  I  should  not  be  able  to  get  them  on  again.  So  all 
that  night  I  rolled  in  agony  on  the  floor,  becoming  so 
sick  that  I  lost  my  supper.  The  wind  raged  without, 
and  when  morning  dawned  was  still  blowing  so  fiercely 
that  the  natives,  taking  a  look  at  the  weather,  said,  — 
"  Pagoda,  poorga  ;  pi  dome,  soak." 

There  was  no  use  kicking  against  the  pricks  ;  neither 
man  nor  dog  could  face  such  a  gale  ;  so  we  did  the  only 
other  practicable  thing,  and  abided  its  abatement,  the 
natives  lashing  their  sleds  and  repairing  their  dog  har- 
ness. Thus  the  day  was  spent,  and  during  the  night  the 
gale  went  down,  subsiding  so  far  that  by  morning  we 
were  again  sole  to  take  to  the  road.  The  delay  had  not 
been  altogether  a  loss,  for  I  had  been  afforded  an  oppor- 
tunity to  translate  and  talk  over  with  the  natives  my 
written  account  of  Nindemann's  journey ;  and  now  our 
next  objective  point  was  the  "  Place  of  the  Sleighs." 
Neither  Tomat  nor  Vasilli  had  ever  been  there,  but  from 
my  broken  translation  of  Nindemann's  description  they 
understood  pretty  clearly  about  where  I  wanted  to  go. 
So,  making  an  early  start,  we  drove  rapidly  along,  and 
at  length  reached  the  desired  spot.  It  was  a  very  small 
hut,  devoid  of  door  or  cover  to  the  smoke-hole,  and  con- 
sequently snowed  in.  I  found  fragments  of  the  sleds, 
which  Nindemann  had  broken  up  for  fuel,  and  searched 
vainly  about  for  a  sign  of  any  one  having  followed  in  his 
footsteps.  Again  we  pushed  on,  this  time  for  the  three 
Bulchoi  Crasses,  three  Propaldi  Yakuts  —  the  place 
where  there  were  three  dead  Yakuts  in  cases  raised  on 
trestles,  with  three  large  crosses.  The  natives  said  there 
were  many,  many  Yakuts  pomeree  and  crass  manorga  ; 


180  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

but  I  made  them  understand  that  these  were  near  an  old 
hut  on  a  high  bank,  and  that  there  were  two  canoes  (yi- 
atkax)  and  an  old  shed  on  the  river. 

And  so  we  pressed  forward.  Night  came  and  found 
us  yet  on  the  snow,  till,  at  length,  the  natives  dug  with 
their  shovels  a  pit  about  seven  feet  square,  and  standing 
the  sleds  to  the  windward,  in  order  to  break  the  force  of 
the  gale  and  cause  the  snow  to  bound  over  us,  drew  forth 
some  raw  frozen  fish,  on  which,  cut  down  in  thin  slices, 
we  regaled  ourselves.  The  dogs  being  staked  and  fed, 
we  then  crawled  into  the  pit  and  crept  into  our  sleep- 
ing-bags, the  few  dogs  which  had  been  turned  loose 
nestling  warmly  on  top  of  us.  For  an  hour  or  two  we 
slept  fairly  well,  but  long  before  daylight  we  were  so 
chilled  that,  for  my  part,  I  felt  as  though  I  could  never 
stretch  myself  again.  Indeed,  as  was  often  my  experi- 
ence, when  I  first  lay  down  I  was  very  cold,  but  with 
my  blood  flowing  freely  and  the  heat  of  my  body  con- 
fined within  the  bag,  I  soon  became  quite  warm  and  com- 
fortable, save  at  the  feet,  where,  to  be  sure,  I  never  suc- 
ceeded in  inducing  any  heat.  And  so  in  a  little  while, 
overcome  by  the  genial  glow  of  my  body,  I  fell  into  a 
deep  sleep,  dreaming  of  long,  weary  marches ;  and,  as  the 
snow  sifted  into  the  rents  of  my  old  battered  sleeping- 
bag  and  thawed  upon  my  neck  or  face,  I  brushed  it  off 
as  though  troubled  by  a  persistent  mosquito.  But  in 
the  course  of  five  or  six  hours,  when  camping  thus,  the 
limbs  of  the  sleeper  begin  to  cramp,  his  body  is  chilled, 
the  snow  has  drifted  up  the  sleeves  and  around  the  collar 
of  his  jacket,  he  grows  restless,  and  finally  awakes  with 
a  jump  as  though  branded  with  a  hot  iron.  For  the 
snow  has  melted  under  his  jacket,  the  bag  and  body  are 
about  freezing,  the  wet  sleeve  has  indeed  frozen  fast  to 
his  bare  wrist,  and  in  his  haste  to  remove  the  burning 
jacket  from  his  irritated  flesh,  he  tears  off  the  blistered 
skin,  leaving  a  raw  spot  to  scab  and  fester  and  fill  up 
with  reindeer  "  feathers  "  (hairs). 


SEARCHING   FOR  DE  LONG.  181 

So  I  was  glad  when  day  dawned.  We  leaped  from  the 
pit,  shook  out  the  snow  from  our  clothes  and  sleeping- 
bags,  and  ate  our  morning  meal  of  frozen  fish,  —  the  na- 
tives topping  off  with  a  smoke.  Then  when  the  sleds 
were  packed,  the  poor  dogs  shaken  out  of  their  little 
heaps  of  snow  and  beaten,  snapping  and  shivering,  into 
line  without  any  breakfast,  another  day's  journey  be- 
gan. Keeping  the  "  west  bank  of  the  river  on  board," 
we  carefully  scanned  every  object  as  we  proceeded,  halt- 
ing at  times  to  run  at  right  angles  with  our  course  and 
look  for  a  track  or  trace  of  any  one  coming  from  the 
northward,  directed  by  the  foot-prints  of  the  two  who 
had  marched  out  of  the  jaws  of  death.  Here  and  there 
we  saw  where  they  had  plunged  through  the  ice  while 
it  was  yet  young,  but  wherever  the  snow  had  fallen  and 
drifted,  there  was  no  sign  or  trail  to  guide  us.  Darkness 
settled  around  us  again,  bringing  with  it  another  pit 
in  the  snow,  and  a  second  miserable  night ;  and  in  the 
morning  after  our  frugal  meal  of  raw  fish,  washed  down 
with  lukewarm  tea  brewed  with  difficulty  over  a  fire 
built  in  the  snow-bank,  we  resumed  our  journey. 

At  one  place  we  observed  the  footprints  of  two  men 
crossing  the  gooba  or  bay,  toward  the  east  side  and  re- 
turning again.  The  imprints  only  showed  where  they 
had  been  made  in  the  ice  when  it  was  fresh  or  leathery, 
though  we  occasionally  saw  them  in  the  sand-spits,  which 
had  afterwards  frozen  hard;  and  the  snow,  driven  vio- 
lently by  the  wind,  had  swept  across  such  exposed  patches 
and  lodged  under  the  banks  or  piled  up  against  the  huge 
hummocks  of  ice  with  which  the  river  was  cumbered. 
Towards  night  we  arrived  at  the  place  of  the  three  crosses, 
and  discovered  the  two  old  huts,  canoes,  and  fishing  shed, 
as  described,  together  with  the  dead  Yakuts  stored  away 
on  their  trestles  in  mid  air.  I  could  find  the  foot-prints 
of  two  men  in  and  around  the  huts,  but  no  more.  These 
structures,  which  were  dilapidated  and  filled  with  snow, 


182  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

afforded  not  the  slightest  evidence  of  having  been  ten- 
anted since  the  sojourn  of  Nindemann  and  Noros.  I  was 
now  nearly  famished.  The  previous  two  nights  had 
given  me  but  little  rest,  and  no  renewal  of  vigor ;  and 
even  the  cold  fish  seemed  only  to  chill  me.  I  asked  the 
natives  how  far  it  was  to  Mat  Vay ;  twenty-five  versts, 
they  said ;  and  there  we  might  have  fire,  shelter,  hot  tea, 
and  hot  fish ;  so,  although  it  was  far  into  the  night,  I 
gave  the  order :  "  Pi  dome,  Mat  Vay." 

I  had  now  followed  up  their  tracks  to  where  Ninde- 
mann and  Noros  said  tbey  came  upon  the  first  huts  they 
had  found  after  leaving  De  Long  ;  and  as  I  had  stuck 
steadily  to  the  west  bank  of  the  river,  there  could  be  no 
mistake.  I  had  therefore  concluded  to  stop  at  Mat  Vay 
with  the  intention  of  renewing  on  the  morrow  my  search 
over  the  shoals  which  we  had  traversed  all  day,  to  the 
Stolb  or  Stolboi,  one  of  Nindemann's  most  prominent 
landmarks.  We  hurried  on  through  the  dark,  I  knew 
not  how,  save  that  we  still  clung  to  the  west  bank,  and 
long  after  midnight  brought  up  at  a  hut.  Then,  so 
torpid  that  I  could  barely  move  or  speak,  I  sat  down  in 
the  snow  until  the  natives  had  opened  the  door  of  the 
hut,  when,  crawling  into  it  on  my  hands  and  knees,  I 
cried  out  for  agoime,  agoime  !  (fire,  fire). 

Presently  one  was  blazing  warmly  on  the  hearth,  and 
then  I  noticed  by  its  glare  that  though  the  door  of  the 
hut  had  been  properly  banked  up  with  snow,  yet  the 
boards  used  to  cover  the  smoke-hole  had  not  been  re- 
placed, and,  as  a  consequence,  the  hut  was  nearly  filled 
with  snow.  But  as  the  fire  burned  more  brightly  and 
lit  up  the  room,  I  was  particularly  surprised  at  the  un- 
usual arrangement  of  the  bed  of  sticks,  to  which  I  drew 
the  attention  of  the  natives,  saying,  "  Yakut  soak." 
They  looked  very  grave,  shook  their  heads,  and  iterated 
"Soak  "  (no)  ;  and  then,  pointing  to  the  open  roof  and 
snow,  added,  "  Americanski." 


SEARCHING  FOR  DE  LONG.  183 

Now,  indeed,  was  I  charmed  ;  for  I  felt  that  I  had 
found  the  new  trail.  Nindemann  and  Noros  had  assured 
me  that  they  had  not  seen  or  entered  a  hut  until  they 
arrived  as  far  south  as  "  The  Crosses,"  nor  slept  in  one 
till  they  reached  the  "Place  of  the  Sleighs;"  and  the 
peculiaiuty  in  the  arrangement  of  the  sticks  which  at- 
tracted my  attention  was,  that  they  had  been  removed 
from  the  ground  around  the  three  sides  of  the  hut,  ac- 
cording to  the  custom  of  the  Yakuts,  and  arranged  in  the 
bed  form  adopted  by  the  North  American  Indians,  with 
the  feet  towards  the  fire,  and  a  log  for  the  head.  So  it 
occurred  to  me  at  once  that  a  second  party,  in  all  proba- 
bility Alexia,  had  been  sent  ahead  by  De  Long  to  follow 
up  Nindemann  ;  that  coming  upon  this  hut,  and  being 
unable  to  open  the  door,  he  had  dropped  down  through 
the  smoke  -  hole,  and  here  passed  the  night ;  and  that 
when  leaving  he  had  neglected  to  cover  the  hole  in  the 
roof,  an  oversight  of  which  no  Yakut  would  have  been 
guilty. 

A  further  search  revealed  no  record  or  other  evidence ; 
and  so,  when  we  had  readjusted  the  sticks  Yakut  fashion, 
and  supped,  we  turned  in,  —  I  to  dream  that  I  had  found 
the  first  clue  of  De  Long. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
LOSING  THE  TRAIL. 

Treachery.  —  I  make  a  Cannibalistic  Threat.  —  Cass  Carta.  —  A 
Late  Supper  of  Deer  Hoofs  and  Horns.  —  Benumbed.  —  Another 
Night  in  the  Snow.  —  "  Balogan  Soak."  —  North  Belun. — I 
dive  into  a  Hut  and  "receive."  —  Two  Precious  Bumagas.  —  A 
Yakut  Bride.  —  Sleeping  in  Close  Quarters.  —  An  Ignoble  Econ- 
omy. —  Definite  Tidings. 

Next  morning  I  noticed  that  the  natives  talked  a 
great  deal  between  themselves,  and  upon  my  urging 
them  to  be  more  active,  packed  their  sleds  with  consider- 
able discontent  and  mystery ;  conversing  the  while  in 
whispers  as  though  fearful  of  my  overhearing  them. 
Finally,  when  we  were  about  to  start  and  I  had  left  the 
hut,  Tomat,  who  had  returned  to  see  that  everything 
was  taken  from  it,  reappeared,  his  face  aglow,  and  pre- 
sented me  with  a  leather  belt,  saying  that  he  had  found 
it  in  the  hut.  A  glance  at  the  great  copper  buckle  of 
homely  make  told  me  that  the  belt  had  been  made  on 
board  the  Jeannette ;  so  I  reentered  the  hut  and  insti- 
tuted a  more  thorough  examination,  shoveling  out  all  of 
the  snow,  but  to  no  purpose.  I  was  now,  however,  more 
fully  convinced  than  before  that  a  second  party  sent  but 
by  De  Long  had  been  there.  So  jumping  upon  the  sled 
I  ordered  the  natives  to  skaree  (hurry  up)  ! 

They  both  looked  at  me  for  an  instant,  afraid  to  speak, 
and  then  Tomat  found  voice  enough  to  say,  —  "  Soak, 
soak!" 

Turning  to  Vasilli,  who  stood  back,  I  inquired,  — 
"  Kack  soak  "  (why  not)  ? 


LOSING   THE   TRAIL.  185 

"  Cushat  soak  "  (nothing  to  eat),  both  replied. 

"Bar,  bar,  cushat  manorga,"  I  said. 

But  they  insisted,  "Ballook  soak,  olane  soak;  savaccas 
propaldi"  (no  fish,  no  deer;  the  dogs  would  break  down). 

I  was  astounded.  Bieshoff  had  told  me  that  he  had 
furnished  food  for  ten  days,  and  here  it  was  all  gone  in 
four.  I  instantly  suspected  that  the  Yakuts,  losing  heart, 
were  playing  rne  false,  and  so  caused  them  to  unload 
their  sleds  of  everything  ;  but  no  food  was  brought  to 
light.  Yet  I  had  full  confidence  in  Bieshoff,  and  so  it 
occurred  to  me  that  the  natives,  afraid  to  proceed  fur- 
ther, had  robbed  me  of  the  fish  and  buried  them  at  Bul- 
cour,  or  one  of  the  snow  camps. 

The  very  thought  enraged  me.  To  turn  back  now 
that  I  had  struck  a  new  trail  was  impossible.  The  two 
natives  seemed  stolid,  while  Tomat  jabbered  away  at  a 
lively  rate.  I  seized  his  great  staff  and  dealt  him  a  stag- 
gering blow,  whereupon  Vasilli  took  to  his  heels,  and 
poor  Tomat,  dazed  and  frightened,  in  trying  to  do  like- 
wise, fell  down  and  retreated  on  his  hands  and  knees, 
while  I  followed  him  up  with  the  iron-shod  stake.  So 
crippled  was  I,  however,  that  they  soon  distanced  me ; 
though  I  had  succeeded  in  cowing  them,  and  that  was 
all  I  wished.  Yet,  as  they  started  off,  the  dogs  jumped 
in  pursuit,  but,  luckily  for  me,  were  staked  fast.  Then 
fearing  lest  the  natives  might  desert  me  altogether,  I 
seized  and  loaded  my  gun,  and  shouting  "  Fintofki,  fin- 
tofki!"  discharged  it  after  them.  The  bullet  went  whist- 
ling over  their  heads,  and  at  the  report  both  natives  fell 
on  their  faces,  then  turning  round  on  their  knees,  began 
crossing  themselves  in  terror,  and  making  such  low 
obeisance  that  their  noses  dipped  in  the  snow. 

I  beckoned  them  to  approach,  at  the  same  time  re- 
loading the  gun  and  seizing  the  staff.  They  returned 
very  contrite,  but  beseeching,  "  Masta  soak;  masta  soak  " 
(no  stick ;  no  stick)  ;  and  then  fell  to  pleading  with  me 


186  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

on  the  danger  of  traveling  farther.  We  had  no  food, 
either  for  ourselves  or  dogs. 

"  Olane  soak,  ballook  soak,  savaccas  pomree,  too  porn- 
ree,  kack  pomree  "  (no  deer  meat,  no  fish,  the  dogs  die, 
we  all  die,  why  die?).  Then,  too,  "Car  manorga,  pa- 
goda poorga,  manorga"  (snow  and  gales  of  wind  in  abun- 
dance). "And,"  they  argued,  "you  can  find  your  dead 
comrades  in  the  spring-time  when  the  snow  is  gone ; " 
and  placing  their  staves  upon  the  ground  they  blew  and 
scraped  and  covered  them  with  snow,  to  show  me  how  it 
had  buried  in  my  friends.  Then  catching  me  around  tlie 
neck  they  cast  themselves  upon  the  snow  and  feigned  to 
die ;  old  Vasilli  afterwards  acting  the  wolf  or  fox  which, 
he  signified,  would  certainly  come  and  eat  us. 

Meanwhile  I  had  somewhat  recovered  from  my  heat 
at  the  sudden  exhaustion  of  our  provisions,  and  now  in- 
quired the  distance  to  the  nearest  village.  "  Two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  versts,"  they  announced,  after  counting  by 
tens  on  their  fingers.  In  what  direction  was  it  ?  They 
laid  down  their  staves,  pointing  them  northwest,  and 
said,  "  Sever  zaputh."     Then  I  firmly  demanded,  — 

"Pi  dome,  skaree,  Sever  Belun,  balogan  Tomat" 
(hasten  to  North  Belun,  to  the  house  of  Tomat). 

Almost  stupefied,  they  looked  at  me  again  as  though 
to  assure  themselves  that  I  was  not  crazy,  and  then  burst 
forth  into  remonstrances.  "  There  was  nothing  to  eat, 
and  we  would  all  die;  I  was  lame,  and  trembling  with 
cold,  and  must  surely  succumb."  Sitting  on  the  sled 
with  my  gun  in  hand,  I  only  replied, — 

"  Savaccas  cushat,  cushat  manorga,  Kack  too,  Yakut 
cushat !" 

At  this  they  crossed  themselves,  glanced  at  each  other, 
and,  seeing  that  I  was  inexorable,  prepared  to  start,  mur- 
muring repeatedly  my  words,  "  Yakut  cushat,  Yakut 
cushat."  For  they  had  only  smiled  when  I  said  that  I 
would  eat  the  dogs,  of  which  there  were  plenty;  but 


LOSING   THE   TRAIL.  187 

when  I  threatened  to  eat  them  too,  they  were  entirely- 
overcome,  and  eyed  me  askance. 

But,  setting  out,  I  took  a  survey  of  the  river  and  shoal 
in  front  of  us,  and  then  directed  the  natives  to  follow 
alone  the  west  bank  of  the  main  branch  in  Nindemann's 
reported  tracks.  But  the  river  here  takes  a  long  turn  to 
the  westward,  and  there  are  numerous  streams  making 
out  into  the  north  around  from  the  west  by  way  of  north, 
and  finally  to  the  eastward,  where  the  largest  branch  is 
in  sight,  though  there  were  more  than  a  dozen  headlands 
to  be  seen  on  the  bay,  each  indicating  the  outlet  of  a 
great  river.  We  had  gone  but  a  little  distance  when  we 
came  upon  a  few  old  huts,  which  I  stopped  to  examine, 
but  they  yielded  me  no  information ;  so  we  continued  on 
our  journey  without  interruption  until  late  that  night, 
when  we  halted  at  a  place  called  Cass  Carta  (Goose 
Place),  where  there  were  two  good  huts  and  a  couple  of 
store-houses. 

During  our  day's  progress,  I  was  convinced  that  we 
had  left  the  trail,  owing  to  the  unusual  number  of  huts 
we  had  seen  ;  albeit  Nindemann  had  informed  "me  of  the 
many  old  and  new  huts  he  had  noticed  while  with  De 
Long.  Arrived  at  Cass  Carta,  however,  I  was  assured 
beyond  doubt  of  my  having  lost  the  scent ;  for,  we  found 
and  ate  a  lot  of  offal  in  the  huts,  which  De  Long  and 
party,  had  they  come  that  way,  would  most  certainly 
not  have  despised.  This  windfall  consisted  of  some  deer 
bones  with  tendons  and  a  little  ragged  meat  attached,  — 
a  few  of  the  leg  bones  having  hoofs  on  them,  which  we 
roasted  in  the  fire,  and,  as  the  heels  softened,  pared  read- 
ily with  our  knives  and  pronounced  capital.  We  also 
found  the  antlers  of  deer,  which  had  been  killed  while 
the  horns  were  yet  in  the  velvet,  and  these,  porous  as 
pumice  stone,  and  filled  with  blood,  the  natives  pounded 
with  their  axes  into  a  meal,  and  this  we  ate  and  found 
pleasant.     There  was  nothing  for  the  dogs  ;    but  they 


188  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

had  been  turned  adrift,  and  since  Cass  Carta  in  season  is 
a  good  goose-hunting  station,  I  noticed  that  they  had  all 
managed  to  pick  up  goose  skins,  feathers,  wings,  feet, 
etc.,  which  had  been  thrown  away  the  preceding  summer. 
But  they  were  very  weak  and  foot-sore,  some  barely  able 
to  stagger  along  out  of  harness  ;  and  a  few  of  these  had, 
indeed,  been  cut  loose  and  left  to  follow  the  team  as  best 
they  could,  or  die  by  the  road. 

Our  hot  tea  and  warm  hut  were  comforts,  however, 
glorified  by  the  fierce  storm  which  blew  in  the  night. 
I  was  eager  to  reach  North  Belun,  where  I  expected  to 
procure  fresh  supplies  of  dogs  and  food,  in  order  to  fol- 
low the  main  river  as  far  south  as  the  point  from  which 
I  started  ;  and,  if  I  failed  in  my  object,  to  then  return  to 
Belun  and  fit  out  an  expedition  to  continue  the  search  in 
the  spring.  I  was  now  so  badly  lamed  as  to  be  utterly 
unable  to  stand  up  without  assistance  ;  but  I  urged  an 
early  start  from  Cass  Carta,  with  a  view  to  reaching 
Koogoolak  that  day.  A  veritable  gale  was  blowing, 
fortunately  across  our  path  and  not  in  our  faces,  and  the 
drifting  snow  almost  obscured  the  leading  dogs.  We 
moved  along  very  slowly ;  the  teams  were  completely 
fagged  out,  and  when  night  overtook  us  I  felt,  as  we 
floundered  aimlessly  about  in  the  snow,  that  it  made  lit- 
tle difference  to  me  whether  I  lived  or  died,  if  I  could 
only  sleep.  The  dogs  crept  on  at  such  a  snail's  pace 
that  I  could  readily  lie  down  on  top  of  the  sled  without 
danger  of  falling  off ;  and  should  this  happen  Vasilli 
would  certainly  miss  me. 

Finally  the  natives  came  to  the  conclusion  that  they 
had  better  camp  and  get  me  into  my  sleeping-bag ;  for 
they  seemed  highly  alarmed  at  my  drowsiness,  and  soon 
I  was  cozy  and  warm  and  fast  asleep  in  the  land  of  snow 
and  tundra. 

We  were  up  with  the  starlight  and  under  way  again. 
I  had  scarcely  dozed,  it  seemed,  as  we  struggled  along 


LOSING    THE   TRAIL.  189 

against  the  furious  storm.  The  natives'  faces  were  blis- 
tered and  sore ;  the  dogs  simply  able  to  move,  and  no 
more ;  and  our  outlook  was  gloomy,  indeed.  I  repeatedly 
asked  Vasilli  how  soon  we  would  come  to  the  next  hut, 
and  he  as  often  answered,  "  In  a  little  while,"  pointing 
ahead  with  his  dog-staff,  as  though  the  hut  was  just  beyond 
the  hill.  But  day  faded  into  dusk,  and  darkness  again 
intervened,  and  I  almost  despaired  of  living.  At  each  of 
our  more  frequent  halts  to  rest  the  worn-out  teams,  the 
natives  would  place  their  hands  upon  me  and  say  some- 
thing. I  answered  their  calls  by  asking  for  a  balogan  ; 
and  they  continued  to  assure  me,  "  Yes,  yes,  a  little  way, 
a  little  while ; "  until,  at  last,  when  they  came  to  tell  me 
of  the  imaginary  balogan,  I  fiercely  cried  out  "  Balogan 
soak." 

Doubtless,  after  that,  they  believed  it  unwise  to  con- 
tend with  me,  for  they  abandoned  me  to  myself,  ap- 
parently reasoning  that  there  could  be  no  danger  of  so 
obstinate  a  man  dying,  even  of  hunger  or  cold ;  and,  for- 
sooth, they  were  somewhat  warranted  in  supposing  from 
my  short,  snappish  "  soak,  —  soak,"  supplemented  by 
choice  expletives  selected  at  random  from  my  own  rich 
mother  tongue,  of  which  they  knew  nothing,  but  the  es- 
sential import  of  which  they  eventually  divined  from  the 
usual  vehemence  of  my  delivery,  that  I  would  yet  keep 
for  some  time  to  come.  Finally,  long  after  midnight, 
Vasilli  shook  me,  and  exclaimed,  "  Balogan,  mahor,  balo- 
gan !  "  He  received  the  usual  rejoinder  ;  but,  notwith- 
standing, tried  to  set  me  up  on  end,  repeating,  "  Da,  da, 
agoime  "  (yes,  yes,  fire),  and  the  teams  had  stopped,  so 
I  looked  up,  and,  sure  enough,  right  beside  me,  flames 
were  issuing  from  a  snow-bank.  So,  at  least,  it  ap- 
peared, for,  although  the  huts  are  built  upon  the  level 
ground,  yet  they  are  so  covered  and  buried  in  by  succes- 
sive snows  that  before  midwinter  the  dog-teams  run  di- 
rectly over  them,  sled  and  all,  sniffing  the  savory  fumes 


190  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

of  goose  or  fish  which  float  out  of  the  chimneys.  Hence 
the  ground-floor  of  the  hut  sinks  farther  out  of  sight  at 
each  additional  increment  of  snow,  until  it  is  anywhere 
from  four  to  five  feet  below  the  grade-level ;  and  so  it 
becomes  necessary,  in  order  to  keep  the  door-way  clear, 
and  enter  or  issue  from  the  balogan,  to  form  or  cut  out  a 
series  of  steps  in  the  snow. 

At  sight  of  the  red  cheerful  sparks  shooting  up  from 
the  cold,  white  waste,  and  the  glare  from  the  nearest 
door-way,  in  which  native  women,  alarmed  by  the  bark- 
ing of  the  dogs,  stood  holding  lighted  sticks  or  flambeaux 
to  guide  us  into  the  hut,  my  spirits  revived,  and  I  sat  up 
on  the  sled.  Tomat  and  Vasilli  helped  me  to  my  feet 
with  the  intention  of  assisting  me  down  the  cellar-way, 
but  suddenly  the  dogs,  not  yet  staked,  seeing  the  bright 
future  ahead  of  them,  bolted.  Naturally,  the  natives  let 
go  of  me  and  sprang  for  their  teams.  Unpropped  on  a 
useless  pair  of  legs,  I  swayed  back  and  forth  for  a  mo- 
ment, and  then  fell  forward  on  my  face  and  hands  ;  but 
the  next  instant  began  crawling  towards  the  brilliant 
door-way,  where  the  women  stood  holding  torches  above 
their  unkempt  heads  and  dark  faces,  while  they  gazed  in 
wonder  at  the  strange  object  which  approached  them  on 
hands  and  knees.  Arrived  at  the  top  of  the  snow  stair- 
case or  pit,  I  first  tried  to  turn  about  and  back  down  the 
steps  in  an  orderly  manner,  but  growing  impatient  at 
the  prolonged  and  cold  proceeding,  I  all  of  a  sudden  shot 
forward  head  first,  and  losing,  of  course,  control  of  my 
movements,  rolled  unceremoniously  in  at  the  feet  of  the 
startled  women,  who  drew  back  and  surveyed  me  with 
elevated  torches,  crying  in  Yakut,  "Who,  who,  tell, 
tell ! "  My  reply  in  good,  plain  English  only  increased 
their  dismay,  —  "  How  are  you,  girls  ?  "  and  then  hold- 
ing my  hands  toward  them,  I  indicated  my  desire  to  be 
helped  into  the  hut. 

Seeing  that  I  was  a  white  man  and  spoke  a  strange 


LOSING   THE   TRAIL.  191 

tongue,  they  stood  back  for  an  instant,  and  then,  taking 
courage  at  sight  of  my  helpless  condition  and  scarred  and 
frost-bitten  face,  two  of  them  advanced,  and,  while  others 
lighted  more  torches  or  sticks,  assisted  me  through  the 
low  door-ways  of  the  outer  apartments  into  a  large,  well- 
arranged,  and  comfortable  balogan.  It  was  floored,  of 
fair  height,  and  around  the  three  sides  were  the  usual 
berths  or  stalls,  while  a  large  fire-place,  its  chimney  well 
plastered  with  mud,  stood  almost  in  the  centre  of  the 
room,  and  flashed  forth  light  and  heat  from  its  capacious 
jaws. 

I  was  conducted  to  the  customary  guest  corner  under 
the  icon  ;  and  the  women  then  fell  back  for  a  better  sur- 
vey of  the  stranger.  Meanwhile  the  news  of  my  arrival 
had  spread  through  the  village,  and  already  the  gossips 
were  pouring  into  the  hut.  The  women  at  once  busied 
themselves  in  the  removal  of  my  outer  garments,  jacket, 
trousers,  boots,  etc.,  since  all  articles  of  fur  are  kept  in 
another  and  cool  apartment,  in  order  to  preserve  them. 
I  myself  had  thrown  off  my  mittens  and  cap  upon  enter- 
ing ;  and  now  Vasilli  and  Tomat  came  in  carrying  my 
sleeping-bag  and  other  traps.  They  told  the  people  who 
I  was,  and  informed  them  of  my  errand,  seeming  to  ex- 
cite a  great  deal  of  sympathy  by  the  relation  ;  for,  gaz- 
ing at  my  frozen  and  puffed-up  hands,  the  natives,  full 
of  curiosity  and  concern,  broke  into  a  clamor  of  excla- 
mations and  questions,  —  "  Ah,  oh  !  Is  it  possible  ! 
Verily!" 

Presently  I  began  to  feel  the  effects  of  the  heat ;  my 
sluggish  blood  began  to  circulate  more  freely,  and  went 
pulsing  painfully  through  my  frozen  limbs ;  and  when  the 
women,  ignorant  of  my  condition,  took  hold  of  the  top  of 
the  moccasins  to  pull  them  off,  they  also  partially  peeled 
the  skin  and  scabs  from  my  legs  until  they  bled,  and  I 
cried  out  in  agony.  The  poor  creatures  started  back  as 
though  struck,  while  the  rest  crowded  around  and  craned 


192  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

their  necks  to  have  a  look  at  the  bleeding,  hair-matted 
sores ;  weeping,  and  saying,  "  Poor  white  man !  he  suf- 
fered, from  the  cold."  The  women  next  used  their  knives, 
and,  ripping  the  outer  seams  of  the  moccasins,  removed 
them  as  gently  as  possible,  leaving  the  hair  of  the  fur 
stockings  sticking  in  the  wounds ;  and  then  all  held  a 
consultation  over  the  frozen  limbs,  which,  after  consider- 
able controversy  and  wagging  of  heads,  were  given  a 
bath  by  pouring  water  over  them ;  and,  when  dried,  they 
were  finally  smeared  with  goose  grease,  which  was  not  at 
all  pleasant  to  the  eye  or  nose. 

By  this  time  I  was  seized  with  an  uncontrollable 
drowsiness,  and,  notwithstanding  the  babbling  of  tongues 
about  me,  fell  into  a  sound  sleep,  from  which  I  volunta- 
rily awoke,  at  length,  to  find  myself  carefully  covered  up 
with  the  furs  of  the  natives.  I  had  neither  bandages, 
nor  material  to  make  the  same,  for  my  legs  and  feet ;  so 
I  set  the  women  at  work  on  a  pair  of  mufflers,  and,  not 
knowing  the  proper  name,  called  them  "  noogie  recovit- 
sas  "  (foot-mittens).  The  natives  tendered  me  a  pair  of 
reindeer  coat-sleeves  as  temporary  coverings  for  my  legs, 
and  I  then  "received."  A  more  motley  or  odoriferous 
crowd  of  mortals  I  never  saw  packed  within  so  small  a 
space.  On  a  table  placed  in  front  of  me,  at  the  edge  of 
the  berth,  hot  tea  and  raw  frozen  fish  were  served,  amaz- 
ingly to  the  delight  of  all  of  us,  and  afterwards  we  en- 
joyed a  kettle  of  boiled  fish  and  soup,  or,  rather,  the  hot 
water  from  the  fish,  which,  anyhow,  was  nourishing  and 
pleasant. 

When  supper  was  over,  the  crowd  made  way  for  a 
rather  fine  -  looking  young  man,  who  came  forward  to 
where  I  was,  and,  bowing  very  low,  said,  "  Drastie,  dras- 
tie  ! "  at  the  same  time  handing  me  a  small  paper  (bu- 
maga).     Eagerly  unfolding  it,  I  read:  — 


LOSING   THE   TRAIL.  193 

Arctic  Exploring  Steamer  Jeannette. 

At  a  Hut  on  the  Lena  Delta,  believed  to  be  near 

Tch-ol-booje,  Lat.  — ,  Lon.  — . 

Thursday,  22d  Sept.,  1881. 
Whoever  finds  this  paper  is  requested  to  forward  it  to  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy,  with  a  note  of  the  time  and  place  at 
which  it  was  found. 

Here  followed  a  brief  statement  of  the  Jeannette's 
voyage  and  loss,  our  march  over  the  ice,  and  separation 
in  the  gale.  The  paper  then  related  the  lauding  of  the 
first  cutter,  and  continued :  — 

On  Monday,  September  19,  we  left  a  pile  of  our  effects  near 
the  beach,  erecting  a  long  pole.  There  will  be  found  navigat- 
ing instruments,  chronometer,  ships'  log  -  books  for  two  years, 
tent,  medicines,  &c,  which  we  were  absolutely  unable  to  carry. 
It  took  us  forty-eight  hours  to  make  these  twelve  miles,  owing 
to  our  disabled  men,  and  the  two  huts  seemed  to  me  a  good 
place  to  stop  while  I  pushed  forward  the  surgeon  and  Ninde- 
mann  to  get  relief  for  us.  But  last  night  we  shot  two  reindeer, 
which  gives  us  abundance  of  food  for  the  present,  and  we  have 
seen  so  many  more  that  anxiety  for  the  future  is  relieved.  As 
soon  as  our  three  sick  men  can  walk,  we  shall  resume  our  search 
for  a  settlement  on  the  Lena  River. 

Saturday,  September  24th,  8  A.  M.  —  Our  three  lame  men  be- 
ing now  able  to  walk,  we  are  about  to  resume  our  journey,  with 
two  days'  rations  deer  meat,  and  two  days'  rations  pemmican, 
and  three  lbs.  tea.  George  W.  De  Long, 

Lieutenant  Commanding. 

When  I  had  finished  reading  the  paper,  I  turned  to 
the  young  man,  whose  name,  he  said,  was  La  Kentie 
Shamoola,  and  asked  where  he  had  found  it.  At  a  hut, 
he  replied,  called  Ballok,  on  the  east  bank  of  the  river 
(Oshee  Lena),  about  fifty-five  versts  east  of  North  Be- 
lun.  Here  I  was  in  luck,  and  still  more  so  when  an  old 
woman,  who  now  came  forward,  searched  down  in  the  in- 
ner recesses  of  her  bosom,  and  at  last  drew  forth  a  second 

13 


194  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

paper,  which  proved  to  be  another  record  left  by  De  Long 
at  a  hut  called  Osoktok,  about  70  versts  to  the  south- 
east of  the  village,  and  a  little  south  of  Ballok.  It  read 
as  follows :  — 

At  a  Hut,  Lena  Delta, 
About  1 2  miles  from  head  of  Delta, 

Monday,  September  26th,  1881. 

Fourteen  of  the  officers  and  men  of  the  U.  S.  Arctic  steamer 
Jeannette  reached  this  place  last  evening,  and  are  £>roceeding  to 
the  southward  this  morning.  A  more  complete  record  will  be 
found  in  a  tinder  case  hung  up  in  a  hut  fifteen  miles  further  up 
the  right  bank  of  the  larger  tream. 

George  W.  De  Long, 

Lieut.  Commanding. 
P.  A.  Surgeon  J.  M.  Ambler, 
Mr.  J.  J.  Collins. 

W.  F.  Nindemann,  N.  Iversen, 

H.  H.  Ericksen,  A.  Gortz, 

H.  H.  Kaack,  A.  Dressier, 

G.  W.  Boyd,  Ah  Sam, 

W.  Lee,  L.  P.  Noros. 

Alexia, 

The  natives  now  told  me  that  there  was  yet  another 
paper  in  the  possession  of  the  neighboring  village,  and 
also  a  fintofki,  or  gun,  which  had  been  picked  up  still 
further  to  the  southward  on  the  east  bank  of  the  river, 
at  a  hut  known  as  "  Usterda,"  about  ninety  versts  distant, 
south  southeast  (youJce  malinki  ostoTc).  Here  I  produced 
my  chart,  and  by  dint  of  much  explanation  hammered 
its  meaning  into  the  thick  heads  of  the  wise  men  of  the 
village  ;  getting  them,  at  length,  to  agree  that  at  Usterda 
there  was  a  branch  of  the  river  which  ran  east  or  east  by 
north.  I  then  made  them  understand  that  at  this  place 
De  Long  and  party  had  halted  four  days,  and  then 
crossed  the  river  to  the  westward  and  traveled  south  to 
a  small  hut  on  the  west  bank,  where  they  camped  for 
several  days,  and  buried  one  of  their  number  in  the  river ; 


LOSING    THE   TRAIL.  195 

and  the  little  old  hut  was  about  twenty  versts  Youke 
from  Usterda. 

To  all  of  this  the  natives  gave  their  approval,  and 
traced  out  on  the  chart  the  course  from  North  or  Upper 
Belun  to  Ballok,  Osoktok,  Usterda,  and  thence  across 
the  river,  and  south  to  the  Malinki  Starry  Balogan 
(Little  Old  Hut)  ;  and  said  that  if  I  would  wait  a  day 
or  two  the  other  paper  (bumaga)  and  gun  would  be 
brought  to  me.  They  were  horrified  when  I  told  them 
of  Ericksen's  burial  in  the  river,  and  shuddered  at  the 
thought  of  the  fish  eating  his  flesh.  The  hut  in  which  I 
was  stopping  belonged  to  Tomat  Constantine,  and  was 
inhabited  by  his  wife  and  children,  including  a  married 
son  and  wife,  and  the  customary  quota  of  aunts,  blind 
pensioners,  etc.,  who  filled  up  the  berths,  while  many 
others  occupied  the  sleeping  space  on  the  floor. 

The  young  son  had  just  been  married;  that  is,  he  had 
but  recently  come  into  possession  of  his  bride  ;  for  it  is  a 
custom  in  this  section  of  Siberia  for  the  bride  and  groom 
to  separate  immediately  after  the  marriage  ceremony  and 
live  apart  with  their  respective  parents  until  one  year 
has  elapsed.  She  had  lately  joined  him  in  all  the  glory 
of  her  wedding  outfit,  made  from  the  fine  fur  of  the 
young  fawn,  checkered  and  strapped  and  covered  with 
peculiar  bead-work ;  interlaced  and  woven  with  curiously 
colored  strips  of  leather  ;  and  patched  around  the  bottom 
of  the  skirt  and  up  the  front  with  fur. 

A  funny  leather  belt  with  buckle  confined  the  dress 
under  her  arms,  for  she  had  no  waist ;  and  her  head  was 
graced  with  a  jaunty  band  bedecked  with  beads  and 
spangles.  She  was  pretty  after  her  kind,  plump  and 
round,  rather  mischievous,  and  never  idle  a  moment  from 
teasing  her  young  mate,  who  was  very  modest  and  shy, 
but  apparently  very  fond  of  her.  Tomat  introduced  her 
to  me  as  the  jonah  of  his  brat,  the  wife  of  his  son  ;  but 
she  quickly  wriggled  away  from  her  father-in-law,  and 


196  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

returned  to  torture  her  spouse ;  and  presently  ended  her 
blandishments,  coaxing,  and  love-making,  by  pulling  off 
his  boots  as  well  as  assisting  him  in  the  removal  of  other 
of  his  outer  garments ;  and  then,  rolling  the  blushing 
youth  into  his  little  bed,  she  finally  let  fall  the  greasy 
calico  curtain  which  shielded  their  love  from  our  vulgar 
gaze. 

It  was  nearly  dawn  before  the  other  inmates  of  the 
hut  settled  to  rest,  all  tarrying  to  see  the  stranger  crawl 
into  his  sleeping-bag,  when  those  without  berths  spread 
their  skins  upon  the  floor ;  and  I  then  saw  the  old  lady 
arrange  the  fire,  and  going  out  on  top  of  the  roof  put 
several  boards  over  the  chimney,  by  means  of  which,  to 
be  sure,  she  kept  the  heat  in  the  hut,  but  at  the  same 
time  cut  off  the  pure  air  from  a  mass  of  forty  naked, 
unwashed  and  greasy  sleepers  of  all  ages  compressed 
within  a  floor  space  of  perhaps  fourteen  by  twenty-two 
feet !  And  the  atmosphere  —  directly  it  became  inde- 
scribable. Nevertheless  we  all  slept,  and  in  the  morning 
turned  out  to  find  the  storm  still  raging  furiously. 

It  was  amusing  to  watch  the  natives  yawning  them- 
selves into  wakefulness.  Many  scenes  were  too  ludi- 
crous, if  not  peculiar,  for  me  to  recount  to  ears  or  eyes 
polite.  The  regular  morning  mouth  bath  was  performed 
by  all  hands,  after  which  they  went  through  their  relig- 
ious drill  before  the  icon.  An  iron  dipper  full  of  water 
was  then  brought  by  one  of  the  sons,  who  poured  the 
stream  into  my  hands  while  I  washed  and  afterwards 
dried  before  the  fire.  Breakfast  was  soon  served,  consist- 
ing of  hot  tea,  sliced  frozen  fish,  and  a  pot  of  boiled  fish 
and  venison.  Each  stranger,  visitor,  or  member  of  the 
family,  I  noticed,  had  his  or  her  separate  little  pot  of 
tea  and  fish.  The  children  were  well-behaved  ;  and  the 
mother  prepared  the  hot  dishes,  while  the  husband  sliced 
the  raw  fish  with  his  sheath-knife.  And  here  is  a  noble 
economy :  the  body  of  the  fish  which  remains  after  being 


LOSING   THE   TRAIL.  197 

pared  to  the  bone  from  head  to  tail  is  invariably  given  to 
the  woman,  while  his  lordship  eats  of  the  fair  and  fat 
slices,  the  few  scraps  that  may  be  left  being  divided  be- 
tween woman  and  children.  Similarly,  when  the  boiled 
fish  has  been  eaten  and  the  bones  picked  clean,  woman 
and  children  go  sucking  over  them  again,  rarely  a  profit- 
able expedition  ;  and  if  there  should  chance  by  some 
windfall  to  be  "full  and  plenty"  in  the  hut,  then  can 
the  poor  old  blind  mammy  and  granny  who  live  behind 
the  chimney  hope  for  a  first  pick  at  the  bones,  but  not 
before.  It  is  here  as  in  all  barbarous  countries  :  the 
woman  is  slave  to  the  man  ;  she  does  all  the  household 
work,  carries  the  wood,  makes  and  repairs  the  clothing, 
dresses  the  skins,  assists  in  hauling  the  fish  and  game, 
and  in  making  and  repairing  the  nets,  beside  bearing  the 
children. 

The  weather  was  so  violent,  that  I  had  fears  of  the 
success  of  my  messenger,  who  had  been  dispatched  for 
the  gun  and  record,  as  promised.  While  awaiting  his  re- 
turn, I  questioned  the  natives  and  made  myself  conver- 
sant with  the  state  of  the  country,  its  people,  game,  etc. 
Tomat/s  eldest  son,  it  appeared,  had  first  found  the  gun 
and  given  it  to  the  starosti  of  the  village  for  safe-keep- 
ing. I  made  a  sketch  of  it,  much  to  his  surprise  and  de- 
light; and  then  to  further  identify  the  gun  before  its 
arrival,  he  cut  with  his  knife  a  curling  spiral  shaving 
from  a  stick  of  wood  to  represent  the  spring  which  is 
fitted  under  the  barrel  of  a  Winchester  rifle,  and  showed 
me  how  he  had  unscrewed  the  cap  and  the  spring  had 
jumped  out  of  its  tube.  It  was  now  well  understood 
among  the  natives  that  I  was  searching  for  a  party  of 
twelve  lost  men,  who  in  all  probability  had  died  of  cold 
and  hunger ;  and  it  was  here  that  they  inquired  of  me 
why  De  Long  and  men  had  not  come  to  their  village, 
inasmuch  as  it  could  be  seen  from  the  Oshee  Lena  with 
the  naked  eye,  and  very  plainly  with  the  aid  of  glasses ; 


198  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

the  natives  suiting  the  action  to  the  words  by  looking 
through  their  fists  in  imitation  of  field-glasses.  It  was 
here,  too,  that  Tomat  told  me  of  there  being  twenty- 
three  head  of  reindeer  cached  or  staked  on  trestle-work 
about  sixteen  versts  to  the  westward  of  Usterda,  where 
De  Long  and  party  had  camped,  but  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  river,  which,  at  this  point,  is  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  a  thousand  yards  wide  and  five  or  six  fathoms 
deep.  Yet  without  means  of  crossing  it,  —  their  at- 
tempts at  rafting  having  proved  abortive,  —  it  is  doubt- 
ful if  they  saw  the  cache  at  all,  since  when  pointed  out 
to  me  it  was  barely  visible  on  the  horizon ;  and  even 
though  De  Long  did  discern  it,  after  the  repeated  disap- 
pointments he  had  met  with  in  visiting  vacant  huts  along 
the  line  of  retreat,  he  would  scarcely  be  justified  in  trav- 
eling twelve  miles  to  examine  into  the  nature  of  a  black 
object  which  looked  as  much  like  a  hillock  of  earth  as 
aught  else  in  creation  ;  not  to  speak  of  the  fast-running 
river  which  intervened. 

The  natives  said  the  records  and  gun  had  been  in  their 
possession  about  twenty  days.  When  the  ice  had  made 
hard  they  had  journeyed  along  the  river  bank  towards 
their  homes,  and  had  noticed  the  little  sled-track  and 
many  foot-prints  in  the  snow,  but  were  puzzled  to  know 
by  whom  they  had  been  made,  fearing  at  first  that  some 
ruffianly  band  of  freebooters  or  fugitive  exiles  had  come 
that  way.  They  found  that  many  of  their  traps  had 
been  torn  up  and  used  for  fire-wood,  and,  at  last,  upon 
arriving  at  the  huts,  they  had  looked  in  and  discovered 
the  records  and  gun,  along  with  some  small  articles  of 
clothing  which  had  been  cast  off  or  lost.  It  was  with 
difficulty  I  could  persuade  them  that  poor  De  Long  and 
his  poverty  -  stricken  band  knew  absolutely  nothing  of 
the  location  of  North  Belun,  much  less  of  the  venison 
cache.  And,  indeed,  it  is  most  pitiful  to  think  how  un- 
consciously near  they  were  to  salvation.     Alas  !  if  some 


LOSING   THE   TRAIL.  199 

misfortune,  which  would  have  proven  such  good  fortune, 
had  only  detained  them  ten  days  longer  in  these  huts, 
to  be  succored  by  the  natives !  It  happened  otherwise, 
however;  and  waiting  four  days  until  the  river  froze, 
they  carefully  picked  their  way  across  it,  hauling  poor 
Ericksen  on  a  sled,  and  then  keeping  along  the  west 
bank  they  traveled  towards  the  south,  in  the  hope,  as 
the  record  said,  of  reaching  a  settlement,  —  a  hope  that 
soon  turned  to  despair  and  ended  in  the  agonies  of  a 
cruel  death. 

It  was  during  the  progress  of  my  interview  with  the 
natives,  conducted  by  the  combined  means  of  pantomime, 
diagram,  and  what  few  Yakut,,  Tunguse,  and  Russian 
words  I  could  muster,  that  the  messenger  made  his  ap- 
pearance, accompanied  by  one  of  the  roughest  looking 
criminal  exiles  I  ever  saw.  The  starosti  brought  the 
gun  and  third  record,  which  proved  to  be  in  regular  se- 
quence and  of  considerable  importance.  It  read  as  fol- 
lows :  — 

"  Saturday,  October  1,  1881. 
"Fourteen  of  the  officers  and  men  of  the  U.  S.  Arctic 
steamer  Jeannette  reached  this  hut  on  Wednesday,  September 
28th,  and  having  been  forced  to  wait  for  the  river  to  freeze 
over,  are  proceeding  to  cross  over  to  the  west  side  this  A.  m., 
on  their  journey  to  reach  some  settlement  on  the  Lena  River. 
We  have  two  days'  provisions,  but  having  been  fortunate  enough 
thus  far  to  get  game  in  our  pressing  needs,  we  have  no  fear  for 
the  future. 

Our  party  are  all  well,   except  one  man,  Ericksen,  whose 
toes  have  been  amputated  in  consequence  of  frost-bite.      Other 
records  will  be  found  in  several  huts  on  the  east  side  of  this 
river,  along  which  we  have  come  from  the  northward. 
George  W.  De  Long, 
Lieutenant  U.  S.  Navy,  Commanding  Expedition. 
P.  A.  Surgeon  Ambler, 
Mr.  J.  J.  Collins,"  etc.,  etc. 

This  was  definite  and  pleasing  information  for  me.     I 


200  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

now  had  as  a  guide  De  Long's  authentic  narrative  telling 
me  the  place  of  bis  landing  on  the  shore  of  the  Arctic 
Ocean,  where  he  had  cached  his  goods  about  three  miles 
to  the  eastward  of  the  main  river ;  how  he  had  visited 
the  three  huts  in  succession,  of  whose  location  I  was  fully- 
apprised  ;  and  as  for  the  rest,  I  could  rely  upon  my  writ- 
ten notes  of  Nindemann's  story. 

So  I  immediately  determined  to  first  visit  the  shore  of 
the  ocean  and  secure  the  log-books,  chronometer,  naviga- 
tion box,  sextant,  and  other  articles  of  value  belonging  to 
the  expedition,  then  return  by  way  of  Ballok,  Osoktok, 
and  Usterda,  crossing  the  river  where  De  Long  did,  and 
finally  follow  the  west  bank  until  I  came  up  with  the 
party  dead  or  alive. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

A  TRIP   TO  THE  ARCTIC   SHORE. 

Ballok.  —  The  "Boos  Byral."  —  The  Cache.  —  I  am  Hoodwinked 
again.  —  Topographical  Revelations. — Myacks. —  Our  Despised 
"Mock  "  and  "  Tas."  —  A  Coveted  Demijohn.  —  Phadee  Achin. 

The  women  bad  made  a  large  pair  of  deer-skin  muf- 
flers for  my  feet,  which,  as  well  as  my  legs,  were  entirely 
too  sore  and  swollen  to  allow  of  my  resuming  the  mocca- 
sins. I  had  also  contracted  for  a  new  deer-skin  coat  and 
pair  of  trousers,  which  materially  added  to  my  comfort ; 
and  I  now  engaged  three  dog-teams  with  drivers,  and  ar- 
ranged for  a  ten  clays'  supply  of  fish.  In  the  morning 
I  limped  out  to  the  sleds,  and  watched  the  process  of 
counting  the  fish  for  our  journey,  mistrusting  the  hon- 
esty of  the  natives  by  reason  of  the  imposition  practiced 
upon  me  by  Vasilli  and  Tomat.  I  then  returned  to  the 
hut,  and  as  soon  as  my  skin  clothing  could  be  donned, 
bade  good-by  to  my  friendly  hostess  and  her  neighbors, 
and  set  out  with  the  three  sleds,  driven  by  La  Ken  tie 
Shamoola,  Tomat,  and  Kerick  ;  old  Vasilli,  discharged 
with  thanks,  having  gone  home. 

The  weather  was  propitious,  the  dogs  fresh  and  strong, 
and  with  a  light  breeze  on  our  backs  we  fairly  flew  along, 
passing  a  small  cemetery  containing  some  forty  or  more 
graves  marked  with  crosses;  and  by  dusk  we  had  arrived 
at  Ballok,  resting  in  the  first  hut  which  sheltered  De 
Long  and  his  men.  I  found  in  the  ashes  a  knife-blade, 
some  pieces  of  vials  or  broken  glass,  and  other  little  arti- 


202  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

cles  attesting  their  presence.  The  hut  was  partially 
filled  with  snow,  which  the  natives  cleared,  and  building 
a  fire  cooked  our  supper  of  fish ;  when  we  all  turned  in, 
and  were  out  the  next  morning  bright  and  early.  I  then 
read  and  explained  to  my  attendants  what  the  first  rec- 
ord said,  that  to  the  northward  on  the  shore  of  the  ocean 
we  would  find  a  cache,  over  which  a  great  pole  (bulchoi 
masta)  was  erected  as  a  landmark ;  and  the  natives  mar- 
veled greatly  that  not  having  been  there  I  could  yet 
know  all  about  it. 

Following  the  east  bank  of  the  river  to  the  north,  we 
at  length  came  upon  the  green,  heavy  massed-up  ice  of 
the  ocean,  and  the  natives,  imitating  the  rolling  of  the 
sea,  cried  "  Boos  byral !  "  and  handed  me  a  lump  of  the 
ice  to  taste,  saying  "Tooshe,  tooshe !  "  (salt,  salt.)  I 
then  turned  to  the  eastward,  and  after  running  for  nearly 
an  hour,  finally  espied  the  tall  flag-staff,  and  pointed  it 
out  to  the  natives,  who  could  scarcely  contain  themselves 
in.  their  anxiety  to  see  what  was  buried  there.  Arrived 
at  the  cache,  I  had  it  uncovered,  and  then  exhumed  from 
the  snow  every  article  it  contained,  much  to  the  wonder 
and  delight  of  my  drivers,  who  had  never  before  seen 
so  much  plunder  in  one  heap,  and  who  were  especially 
tickled  with  the  two  guns.  I  loaded  all  the  relics  on  the 
sleds,  save  one  long,  heavy  steering-oar,  and  the  flag-pole, 
which  I  left  standing.  The  boat  was  nowhere  to  be  seen, 
though  I  looked  for  it  carefully  along  the  shore  ;  but  since 
the  ice  was  so  jammed  up,  I  reached  the  conclusion  that 
it  had  been  crushed  and  submerged,  or,  perhaps,  snowed 
over.  The  discovery  of  it  was  of  no  consequence  what- 
ever, so  far  as  finding  the  party  or  relics  was  concerned, 
but  then  I  wished  to  remove  every  vestige  of  their  land- 
ing, in  order  that  no  future  searchers  might  be  misled  or 
hampered  in  their  progress.  For  this  reason  I  carried 
away  all  the  old  sleeping-bags,  clothing,  etc.,  with  the 
intention  of  destroying   the  useless   articles,  or  giving 


A    TRIP   TO   THE  ARCTIC  SHORE.  203 

them  to  the  natives  at  the  village,  with  instructions  to 
keep  them  there. 

I  returned  to  Ballok,  well  satisfied  with  my  day's  work, 
and,  after  a  supper  of  hot  tea  and  boiled  fish,  fell  asleep, 
in  the  hope  of  following  on  the  morrow  the  track  as  far 
south  as  Osoktok.  I  slept  soundly  in  my  bag,  reclining 
on  a  bed  of  soft  snow,  and  when  morning  broke  was 
ready  and  eager  for  the  road  ;  my  feet  and  legs  drying 
and  healing  rapidly,  save  where  the  deer  hair  had  matted 
under  the  sores,  for  my  loose  mufflers  were  soft  and 
warm.  I  now  observed  that  the  natives  were  having 
another  secret  consultation,  and,  at  length,  when  I  was 
ready  to  start,  and  told  them  to  pi  dome,  designating  the 
course  we  would  pursue,  they  promptly  refused  to  go. 
"  Why  not  ?  "  I  asked.  "  There  was  no  food,"  they  said. 
This  dumfounded  me,  for  I  had  certainly  seen  a  fish 
supply  for  ten  days  loaded  on  the  sled.  Old  Toinat  had 
been  involved  in  a  scrape  of  this  kind  before,  and  now 
edged  past  me  towards  the  door  of  the  hut.  I  saw  his 
movement,  and  seizing  a  billet  of  wood  began  to  belabor 
La  Kentie,  and  the  young  son  of  the  starosti.  The 
former  was  a  great,  dignified  sort  of  person,  and  unac- 
customed to  this  kind  of  treatment ;  but  as  the  blows  fell 
thick  and  fast  he  beat  a  precipitate  retreat,  scrambling 
all  over  me  in  his  haste  to  reach  the  door.  I  followed 
quickly,  gun  in  hand,  shouting,  "  Fintofki,  fintofki ! "  in 
fear  that  they  might  desert  me  altogether.  Old  Tomat, 
well  pleased  at  his  escape  from  punishment,  stood  in  the 
middle  distance,  laughing  heartily  at  the  discomfiture  of 
his  friends.  La  Kentie  was  sullen,  hurt  in  feelings  as 
well  as  body,  and  did  not  relish  the  fun  which  Tomat 
was  poking  at  him  ;  while  Kerick,  the  starosti's  young 
son,  stood  rubbing  in  dismay  that  part  of  his  person 
which  he  had  presented  to  me  as  a  target  when  leaving 
the  hut  on  all-fours.  I  called  them  to  me,  but  as  La 
Kentie  exhibited  some  unwillingness  to  obey,  I  lowered 


204  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

the  gun  and  fired  as  I  bad  before  at  Mat  Vay.  It  bad 
exactly  the  same  effect.  They  all  dropped  on  their 
knees  and  faces,  going  through  their  religious  exercises 
at  a  great  rate.  Old  Tomat  took  refuge  behind  La 
Kentie,  and  lied  abominably,  saying  that  "  La  Kentie 
had  stolen  the  fish,  not  he,  who,  indeed,  knew  nothing  at 
all  about  it." 

However,  I  summoned  them  to  me,  promising  not  to 
beat  them,  and  then  learned  that  the  villagers  had  filched 
the  fish  from  our  sleds,  and  returned  them  to  the  differ- 
ent store-houses  ;  because,  they  explained,  I  had  appropri- 
ated all  the  fish  in  the  village,  and  there  had  been  a  fam- 
ine in  that  section  of  the  country,  eighty  of  their  dogs 
having  starved  to  death,  and  that  if  I  had  carried  off  the 
fish  the  women  and  children  would  have  died;  whereupon 
they  compressed  their  stomachs  and  made  hollow  their 
cheeks.  What  could  I  do  but  swallow  my  vexation  and 
return  to  the  village  ? 

We  started  back  in  a  driving  snow-storm,  which  luck- 
ily blew  from  the  eastward  and  against  our  backs'.  The 
dogs  were  already  weak  from  hunger,  although  they  had 
been  out  but  three  days,  yet,  as  I  have  mentioned  else- 
where, the  natives  never  work  their  teams,  if  they  can 
avoid  it,  two  days  in  succession.  So  we  staggered  along 
at  a  snail's  pace,  and  it  was  night  before  we  reached 
North  Belun,  having  consumed  nine  hours  on  the  jour- 
ney, whereas  on  our  outward  trip  we  had  accomplished 
the  same  distance  in  six.  I  was  surprised  at  the  number 
of  rivers  we  had  crossed  in  going  from  Upper  Belun"  to 
Ballok ;  for  on  my  chart  (a  copy  of  Petermann's,  by  far 
the  most  reliable  known  at  the  time  of  the  Jeannette's 
sailing)  only  three  main  branches  of  the  Lena  were  laid 
down.  So  on  our  way  back  I  counted  the  rivers,  inquir- 
ing of  La  Kentie  as  we  crossed  each  frozen  stream,  "  Kack 
Oshee  ?  "  (river)  ;  or  "  Ku  mark  ?  "  (dirt)  ;  to  which  he 
would  reply,  "  Da,  da,"  or  "  Bar"  (yes) ;  or  "  Soak  "  (no), 


A    TRIP   TO   THE  ARCTIC  SHORE.  205 

as  the  case  might  be.  We  crossed  thirteen  streams,  sev- 
eral of  which  were  as  wide,  though  perhaps  not  as  deep, 
as  the  main  branch,  along  which  De  Long  had  marched  ; 
so  it  can  be  imagined  of  what  value  our  charts  were  to 
us,  which  located  within  this  space  of  forty  miles  but  two 
streams.  While  at  Ballok  and  on  our  way  to  the  ocean, 
I  had  diligently  inquired  of  the  natives  the  situation  of 
"Sagastyr,"  but  they  knew  nothing  of  such  a  place. 
They  told  me,  however,  of  Barchuck,  and  the  many  old 
huts  at  Barkin,  but  said  that  no  one  had  lived  at  the  lat- 
ter place  for  years.  Still  they  were  confident  of  the  non- 
existence of  "  Sagastyr  "  or  "  Signalthorp."  I  was  so 
particular  about  establishing  this  fact  because  Nindemann 
had  informed  me  that  when  Erichsen  was  buried,  there 
had  been  a  signal  station  in  sight,  which  De  Long  be- 
lieved to  be  the  "  Signalthorp  "  marked  on  Petermann's 
chart.  But  the  natives  took  the  trouble  to  show  me  a 
dozen  or  more  of  their  signal  stations,  which  they  erect 
for  the  purpose  of  guiding  them  when  benighted  or  lost 
in  storms.  As  they  journey  across  the  Delta,  they  halt 
at  every  myack  (finger-post  or  pointer)  and  examine 
it,  recutting  the  post-marks,  when  necessaiy,  with  their 
knives,  adjusting  a  new  pointer,  or  setting  up  a  triangle 
which  has  tumbled  down.  The  triangular  myack  consists 
of  two  short  sticks  supporting  a  longer  stick  which  either 
indicates  a  point  of  the  compass  or  points  toward  a  par- 
ticular hut  or  village.  These  pointers  have  certain  marks 
cut  in  them,  the  significance  of  which  is  generally  under- 
stood by  the  natives,  and  I  have  seen  them,  lost  in  the 
snow,  drive  aimlessly  around  almost  in  a  circle,  until  they 
found  a  myack;  when,  taking  a  fresh  start,  guided  by 
the  direction  of  the  wind  or  furrows  of  snow,  they  would 
successfully  reach  their  destination. 

The  whole  village  turned  out  to  witness  our  dejected 
return,  and  many  hands  carried  the  treasure-trove  into 
the  hut  of  Tomat  Constantine.     I  selected  every  article 


206  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

of  any  value  to  the  expedition  or  government,  and  gave 
the  residue,  which  comprised  a  lot  of  old  sleeping-bags, 
clothing,  an  old  cook-stove  or  fire-pot,  and  some  useless 
rope  and  canvas,  to  Tomat  and  La  Kentie  Shanioolaas 
part  payment  for  their  services.  Among  the  packages 
which  I  made  up  to  carry  back  with  me  to  Belun  was  a 
tin  box  of  nearly  a  cubic  foot  capacity,  filled  with  rock 
specimens,  mosses,  etc.,  from  Bennett  Island,  and  when 
I  set  it  carefully  to  one  side  I  saw  the  natives  first  peer 
into  the  box,  then  pick  over  its  contents,  and  after  some 
chattering  among  themselves,  finally  burst  forth  into  a 
loud  guffaw  at  the  idiocy  of  a  man  who,  upon  the  point 
of  starvation,  proposed  to  incumber  himself  on  a  long 
journey  with  a  load  of  worthless  stones.  I  could  plainly 
hear  their  contemj)tuous  comment  on  the  mock  and  tas  ; 
until,  at  length,  to  make  sure  that  he  understood  me 
aright,  Tomat  inquired  a  second  time  if  I  really  meant 
to  carry  them  to  Belun,  and  upon  my  replying  in  the 
affirmative  he  impatiently  cast  the  box  among  the  other 
articles  with  a  look  of  supreme  disgust,  admonishing  me 
at  the  same  time  that  the  dogs  and  sleds  would  assuredly 
propaldi  (break  down). 

Amongst  the  things  I  had  brought  away  from  the  cache 
were  a  demijohn  and  breaker,  containing  some  alcohol. 
The  natives  soon  learned  that  I  had  the  spirits,  and  all 
congregated  around  in  the  hope  of  having  a  spree.  But 
not  knowing  how  the  devil  would  act  if  I  turned  him 
adrift  among  such  crude  material,  I  flatly  refused  to  lis- 
ten to  Tomat's  entreaties  for  "just  a  little."  "  It  was 
only  good  for  fire,"  I  told  them,  showing  how  it  burned 
in  the  alcohol  stove,  but  still  they  coaxed  and  begged, 
until  I  saw  a  young  man  seize  the  demijohn  and  bolt 
with  it.  I  caught  him  before  he  reached  the  door,  and 
snatching  the  demijohn  from  his  lips  struck  him  with  it, 
spilling  the  alcohol  over  the  floor,  whereupon  he  quickly 
got  down  on  his  stomach  and  eagerly  lapped  up  the  pre- 


A    TRIP   TO   THE  ARCTIC  SHORE.  207 

cious  fluid.  I  exhibited  considerable  anger  at  the  young 
fellow's  forwardness ;  and  then  emptied  the  contents  of 
the  wicker-covered  vessel  into  the  fire-place  and  among 
the  ashes  of  the  hearth,  where  it  took  fire  and  burned 
for  a  long  while,  greatly  to  the  sorrow  and  dismay  of 
poor  To  mat  and  his  friends. 

Before  retiring  that  night,  I  arranged  for  the  necessary 
teams  to  convey  me  to  Belun.  La  Kentie  and  Kerick 
had  all  the  experience  they  desired,  while  Tomat,  though 
obliged  to  return  to  Belun,  had  not  enough  clogs  for  the 
journey,  and  yet,  as  I  was  compelled  to  find  drivers  in 
order  that  the  teams  could  be  returned  to  Upper  Belun, 
Tomat  became  a  passenger  on  my  hands.  A  bright 
young  chap  named  Geordi  Nicolai  (George  Nicholas)  vol- 
unteered his  own  services  and  those  of  a  fine  team  of  dogs 
which  he  had  managed  to  gather  together.  Geordi  had 
been  decently  reared  for  a  native  (and  I  always  found, 
that  those  who  had  been  well-fed  and  nurtured  were  infi- 
nitely superior  to  their  groveling  fellows)  ;  he  was  intel- 
ligent and  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  road,  and,  as 
it  transpired,  I  liked  him  so  well  that  on  my  second 
search  for  De  Long  I  hired  him  again.  My  nest  driver 
was  a  half-breed  Tunguse,  named  Phadee  Achin,  square- 
jawed,  square-headed,  and  resolute.  There  was  not  a  scin- 
tilla of  nonsense  in  his  composition ;  he  ate  his  fish,  bones 
and  all,  and  digested  them,  too.  His  face  even  then  was 
covered  with  blisters  and  sores,  his  cheek-bones  were  raw, 
his  complexion  was  a  peculiar  livid  blue,  and  his  lips 
were  black.  Full-chested,  square-shouldered,  and  clean 
in  the  flanks,  he  was  taller  by  far  than  any  Yakut  I  had 
seen  on  the  Delta. 

Yet  I  was  not  so  much  struck  by  his  face,  however 
comical,  as  by  the  peculiarity  of  his  name  when  he  intro- 
duced himself  as  "  Phadee."  "  Good,"  said  I,  "  Paddy, 
you  've  got  a  first-rate  name ;  "  and  I  certainly  thought 
it  a  queer  coincidence,  for  he  had  all  the  air  and  tout  erir 


208  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

semble  of  a  large-boned,  stalwart,  but  dark-skinned  Irish- 
man ;  and  I  became  morally  convinced  of  the  fact  that 
in  the  long  ago  some  adventurous  Celt  had  forced  his 
way  into  these  lonely,  frozen  regions.  So  I  engaged 
Phadee,  who  talked  in  monosyllables.  How  many  dogs 
had  he  ?  Eleven,  he  replied,  holding  up  his  fingers. 
When  could  he  start  ?  Now.  Had  he  any  food  for  him- 
self or  team  ?  No.  How  did  he  expect  to  live  ?  I  asked, 
using  the  words  "  Cushat  soak  ?  "  His  only  answer  was 
a  repetition  of  my  query,  "  Cushat  soak  "  (nothing  to 
eat).  "And  so,"  I  thought,  "  my  man,  if  you  can  stand 
it,  so  can  I." 

But  the  two  sleds,  it  was  plain,  were  not  enough  to 
transport  all  my  baggage ;  and  so  it  became  necessary  to 
hire  a  third  team  to  assist  us  part  way,  at  least,  and  return 
when,  from  fatigue  or  want  of  food,  it  could  go  no  far- 
ther. To  fill  this  place  an  old  fellow  named  Starry  Nic- 
olai  (Old  Nicholas)  was  recommended  to  me,  as  a  man 
who  had  walked  all  the  way  from  the  shore  of  the  Arctic 
Ocean  to  Belun  without  anything  to  eat,  and  in  the  dead 
of  winter ;  the  narration  of  which  exploit  he  indorsed  as 
correct  by  simply  adding  "Verna"  (truly).  He  was 
very  poor  as  well  as  old,  and  had  no  team,  but  the  vil- 
lagers promised  to  furnish  him  with  seven  dogs  ;  and  so 
with  everything  in  readiness,  —  except,  indeed,  the  rather 
important  item  of  food,  which  the  natives  assured  me 
would  be  provided  in  good  time,  —  I  at  last  sought  my 
berth.  The  wind  had  almost  increased  to  a  hurricane 
when  we  turned  in  for  the  night,  and  long  before  dawn 
was  howling  in  fury.  I  dreaded  that  it  might  prevent 
our  departure,  but  nevertheless  dressed  and  prepared  to 
start,  eating  a  hearty  breakfast  of  raw  and  cooked  fish. 
Tomat  came  to  me  and  said,  "  Pagoda,  poorga,  pi  dome 
soak."  But  I  had  been  outside  and  was  not  so  certain ; 
the  wind  nearly  carried  me  off  my  feet,  to  be  sure ;  but 
then  it  was  from  the  northwest,  and,  pointing  in  that 


THE    LENA    DELTA 

SHOWING  THE   ROUTES  TAKEN  AFTER   LAND- 
ING, AND  BY  THE  SEARCH  PARTIES. 


123       Longitude      13t  Kvst  125  frflg 


A    TRIP   TO   THE  ARCTIC  SHORE.  209 

direction,  I  told  him  so.  Still,  as  he  shook  his  head  and 
persisted  in  repeating  "  Pi  dome  soak,"  I  could  do  noth- 
ing but  acquiesce. 

Yet  I  was  very  anxious  to  be  off,  feeling  confident 
that  if  I  could  rightly  strike  De  Long's  trail,  I  would 
shortly  find  him  and  party,  doubtless  dead,  in  some  hut 
or  crevice  in  the  river  bank.  But  then  I  must  search  at 
once  before  the  valleys  became  entirely  filled  with  snow  ; 
for  it  was  only  possible  that  the  party  would  or  could 
erect  flag-poles  to  attract  the  attention  of  rescuers  or 
passers-by.  I  scarcely  expected  to  find  them  alive,  my 
only  hope  being  that  they  had  fallen  in,  like  Nindemann 
and  Noros,  with  natives;  yet  they  had  journeyed  along 
about  midway  between  Arii,  the  nearest  village  to 
the  southeast,  and  North  Belun,  the  nearest  one  to  the 
northwest.  At  least,  I  might  be  in  time  to  rescue  their 
bodies  from  the  mutilations  of  wild  beasts,  and  to  secm-e 
our  valuable  records  ;  for  the  face  of  the  country  clearly 
showed  me  that  if  I  was  delayed  until  spring  all  trace  of 
my  unfortunate  comrades  would  be  swept  away  by  the 
floods,  which  at  that  season  of  the  year  completely  sub- 
merge the  Delta,  and  leave  as  driftwood  great  logs  as 
large  as  ship-spars,  some  deposited  on  tundra  beds  forty 
feet  above  the  river.  When  breakfast  was  over,  Greordi 
Nicolai  came  in  and  firmly  said,  — 

"Poorga,  periscomb  soak;  sarsun "  (gale,  walk  no; 
to-morrow). 

But  presently  "  Paddy"  made  his  solemn  appearance, 
armed  cap-a-pie  for  a  battle  with  the  storm ;  head-gear, 
gloves,  dog-stake,  and  all.  He  had  already  come  some 
little  distance,  and  was,  I  feared,  about  to  sanction  a 
postponement  of  our  departure;  so  I  hastily  addressed 
him,  — 

"  Pi  dome,  Paddy  ?  "  said  I. 

"  Pi  dome,"  he  assented,  without  changing  counte- 
nance. 

14 


210  IN  THE  LENA    DELTA. 

Tomat  put  in  a  vigorous  protest ;  but  as  Starry  Nico- 
lai  had  meanwhile  arrived  in  evident  preparation  for  the 
journey,  though,  it  is  true,  strongly  inclined  to  belie  his 
looks  and  take  sides  with  old  Tomat,  I  felt,  reinforced 
by  Paddy,  considerably  in  the  majority,  and  so  gave  the 
peremptory  order  to  "  Skaree,  pi  dome "  (make  haste, 
go  on). 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
STRUGGLING  WITH  BOREAS. 

Daring  the  Storm.  —  The  Suffering  of  the  Dogs.  —  At  Macha.  — 
"Ballook  soak!  "  —  Foot- Prints.  —  Straying.  —  Sister  Ganak. — 
Odorous  Offal  for  Supper.  —  Remorseless  Weather.  —  Qu  Vina. 

—  More  Offal.  —  Vos  Crusina.  —  A  Bone  Cache.  —  River  Bergs. 

—  Seeking  Refuge  in  the  Snow. — Breakfasting  on  Putrid  Deer 
Bones. 

We  set  out  in  a  tempest  of  snow,  laying  our  course 
for  Osoktok,  where  De  Long's  second  record  bad  been 
found.  Had  it  only  been  snowing  our  discomfort  would 
have  been  comparatively  slight ;  but  the  wind  blew 
fiercely,  veering  from  northwest  to  north,  and  ere  long  to 
east,  full  in  our  faces.  The  dogs  were  poor,  the  sleds 
overladen,  and  old  Tomat  kept  croaking  dismally  that  it 
would  storm  for  ten  days.  I  rather  regretted  having 
forced  the  natives  out,  for  they  disliked  to  face  the  wind, 
as  did  the  dogs,  which  refused  to  follow  the  course,  low- 
ering their  heads  and  turning  clear  around  to  avoid  the 
cutting  blasts.  This  consequently  made  trouble  for  the 
drivers,  and  I  almost  despaired  of  pulling  through  ;  the 
dogs  howled  in  unison  with  the  storm,  and  the  natives 
kept  time  with  their  cudgels.  "  Paddy  "  graphically  de- 
scribed the  situation  to  me,  as  he  clambered  upon  the 
sled,  after  clearing  the  harness  and  hauling  his  team 
into  line  for  the  hundredth  time,  — 

"  Savaccas  a  moosbina,  poorga  booda  "  (dogs  and  men 
are  alike),  said  he,  placing  his  forefinger  at  the  bridge  of 
his  nose,  or  where  it  meets  the  forehead  ;  "  poorga  pom- 


212  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

ree."  By  which  he  meant  that  the  wind  striking  them 
between  the  eyes  would  kill  both.  And  he  was  right ;  a 
cold  gale  first  produces  pains  in  the  head,  then  drowsi- 
ness, and  lastly  the  sleep  which  knows  no  waking. 

We  toiled  patiently  on,  and  long  after  the  time  when 
we  should  have  reached  Osoktok  brought  up  at  a  little 
old  hut,  or  rather  its  ruins.  The  natives  had  driven  to 
it  merely  as  a  landmark,  and  to  take  a  breathing  sjDell. 
It  was  impossible  to  get  inside,  so  we  all  sat  down  under 
its  lee  in  the  snow.  The  natives  smoked  and  then 
lunched  on  several  raw  fish,  laughing  at  my  refusal  to 
join  them ;  for  I  looked  forward  to  a  hot  meal  at  Osok- 
tok, where,  considerably  past  midnight,  we  arrived,  al- 
most exhausted  by  our  tiresome  journey.  The  dogs  were 
so  fatigued  that,  as  soon  as  staked,  they  coiled  up  and  fell 
asleep  without  even  looking  for  their  accustomed  fish; 
and,  indeed,  it  was  just  as  well,  for  there  was  nothing  to 
give  them.  I  was  pleased  to  notice  upon  our  arrival  a  tall 
staff  with  an  arm  attached,  pointing  towards  the  deer 
cache  which  one  of  Tomat's  sons  had  described  to  me. 

The  door  and  roof  being  far  from  tight,  the  hut  was 
partially  filled  with  snow.  This  we  leveled  off,  spread 
our  beds,  cleared  the  fire-place,  and  in  a  little  while  soft- 
ened before  a  kettle  of  hot  fish  and  a  pot  of  tea.  All 
this  time  I  was  supposing  that  the  natives  had  brought 
fish  or  food  of  some  kind  along  for  themselves;  but,  jolly 
devils  that  they  were,  my  bag  of  ten  fish  had,  according 
to  their  custom  of  sharing  supplies  while  on  the  road, 
been  the  only  store  from  which  they  drew ;  and  as  they 
had  previously  eaten  two  raw,  and  now  helped  themselves 
to  two  more  while  the  pot  was  boiling,  only  three  fish 
remained,  and  this  was  our  first  day's  journey.  Yet  I 
then  imagined  that  but  one  fish  had  gone  into  the  pot  as 
my  contribution  to  the  meal,  and  so  ate  on  in  peace,  as 
also  did  they.  I  afterwards  searched  the  hut  for  any 
small  articles  which  De  Long's  party  might  have  aban- 


STRUGGLING    WITH  BOREAS.  213 

doned  or  lost ;  but  found  nothing  beyond  some  deer 
bones,  the  hide  of  which,  one  of  the  natives  told  me,  had 
been  picked  up. 

A  restful  sleep,  and  betimes  in  the  morning  we  were 
out  and  on  again.  I  observed  that  my  dusky  compan- 
ions refrained  from  their  frozen  fish,  and  that  our  kettle 
of  hot  fish  was  smaller  than  before;  yet  as  there  was 
plenty  I  did  not  care.  The  wind  and  snow  still  raged 
and  drifted,  and  the  miserable  dogs  yelped  and  shivered 
from  hunger  and  cold.  They  seemed  more  like  wild 
wolves  than  domestic  animals,  in  their  mad  impatience 
to  be  off,  though  some  were  almost  too  weak  to  stand  up. 
Following  the  bed  of  the  river,  we  pushed  on  against  the 
storm,  now  fairly  in  our  teeth,  and  so  thick  that  it  ob- 
scured the  leading  dogs ;  which  at  length,  utterly  over- 
come, lay  down,  and  howling  wearily  refused  to  move. 
The  natives  then  took  turns  at  putting  a  drag-rope  over 
their  shoulders  and  pulling  the  leaders  along,  while  the 
rest  of  the  teams  were  beaten  into  motion.  I  could  do 
little  else  than  sit  on  my  sled  and  shout  out  encourage- 
ment. Our  situation  was  serious  indeed ;  four  hundred 
versts  intervened  between  us  and  the  nearest  succor,  Ku 
Mark  Surt ;  and  the  natives  assured  me  that  such  storms 
continued  for  ten  days  or  two  weeks.  If  this  was  no  ex- 
ception, we  would  certainly  be  snowed  in ;  for  should 
our  twenty-nine  dogs  entirely  succumb,  the  natives  could 
not  possibly  drag  the  sleds,  since  even  now,  with  both 
laboring  at  the  harness,  we  could  barely  worry  along. 
At  any  rate  we  must  make  the  distance  of  fifty  versts 
between  Osoktok  and  Usterda  as  one  day's  journey;  and 
so  we  did,  reaching  the  hut  long  after  midnight.  It  was 
pitched  on  a  point  of  land  between  the  Lena  and  a 
branch  running  up  into  the  northeast,  called  Obi  Bute 
Yaisia ;  but  when  the  natives  looked  in  they  found  it 
full  of  snow,  so  we  kept  on  to  Macha,  a  hut  about  a  mile 
below  or  just  beyond  the  mouth  of  the  northeast  branch. 


214  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

This  was  comparatively  new,  weather-tight,  and  warm, 
and  soon  we  were  seated  around  a  good  fire  sipping  our 
hot  tea.  The  natives,  I  noticed,  went  without  their  usual 
feed  of  frozen  fish,  and  were  dilatory  in  preparing  sup- 
per ;  so  I  told  Tomat  to  put  on  the  kettle  of  fish. 

"  Ballook  soak,"  said  he. 

"  What !  "  I  cried  in  astonishment.  He  only  shrugged 
his  shoulders,  and  extended  his  open  palms,  repeating 
with  genuine  sorrow,  "  Ballook  soak." 

Knowing  they  were  all  right  as  long  as  my  fish  lasted, 
and  with  no  concern  for  the  future,  the  rascals  had  hast- 
ened to  consume  my  provisions  without  giving  me  a 
thought ;  and  now  when  I  accused  Tomat  of  the  theft 
he  simply  pointed  to  Paddy  and  lied,  saying  he  believed 
them  to  belong  to  him,  whereupon  Paddy  passed  the  lie 
to  Geordi,  and  so  it  went  around,  all  fibbing  in  the  fat- 
uous manner  of  children  instead  of  manfully  ascribing 
their  duplicity  to  a  pardonable  necessity.  And  there  the 
matter  rested.  I  curled  myself  up  in  my  sleeping-bag 
and  went  supperless  to  bed  ;  but  not  to  rest ;  for,  though 
not  very  hungry,  I  was  very  tired,  and  the  old  pains, 
revived  by  the  heat  of  the  hut,  were  again  biting  and 
gnawing  at  my  legs.  No  new  blisters  had  appeared,  and 
the  sores  were  healing,  but  yet  my  agony  was  terrible, 
and  I  tossed  about  craving  to  lie  in  the  snow,  until,  at 
last,  I  fell  asleep  from  pure  exhaustion. 

After  our  hot  tea  in  the  morning,  the  natives  dug 
around  among  the  heaps  of  rubbish  in  search  of  offal, 
but  there  was  not  a  scrap  or  sign  to  be  found.  .The 
half  dead  dogs  were  then  dragged  from  their  beds  of 
snow,  and  back  we  started  towards  the  hut  at  Usterda ; 
for  it  was  my  intention  to  cross  the  river  where  De  Long 
did,  and  then,  as  he  had  done,  keep  along  the  west  bank, 
in  the  hope  of  reaching  a  settlement.  Accordingly,  I 
searched  about  the  hut,  and  then  followed  the  foot-prints 
of  the  unfortunate  party,  and  the  track  of  the  sled  on 


STRUGGLING    WITH  BOREAS.  215 

which  they  had  hauled  Erieksen.  This  was  quite  plain 
on  the  ice  of  the  river,  for  the  fierce  gales  had  swept  it 
clean  of  snow,  and  when  the  party  had  crossed  over  the 
runners  had  cut  deeply  into  the  soft  young  ice.  I  also 
saw  where  one  of  their  number  had  sounded  the  ice,  or 
had  punched  holes  in  it  with  a  pike  or  staff ;  and  again 
where  more  than  one  had  broken  through,  and  in  their 
flurry  to  get  out  had  plunged  in  again  or  oftener,  and 
only  escaped  by  retreating. 

Once  over  the  river,  I  turned  to  the  southward,  round- 
ing the  bend,  and  thence  on  to  a  high  bank,  where  the 
party's  foot-prints  had  been  plainly  frozen  in  the  soft 
snow.  I  now  proposed  to  pursue  these  tracks  until  I 
came  to  the  little  old  hut,  which,  Nindemann  had  told 
me,  they  reached  after  a  slow  march  of  two  days ;  the 
place  at  which  Erieksen  had  become  too  sick  to  be  moved, 
and  where,  waiting  until  he  died,  they  had  buried  him  in 
the  river.  It  should  properly  be  distant  about  twenty 
versts,  and  when  I  explained  to  the  natives  where  I 
wanted  to  go,  they  said  they  knew  its  location.  So  we 
struggled  along  all  day,  and  at  length  came  to  a  hut 
which  agreed  with  Nindem  ami's  description ;  at  least,  in 
its  distance  from  Usterda.  He  had  said,  however,  that 
when  Erieksen  was  buried  they  had  cut  an  inscription  in 
a  board,  which  had  previously  served  them  as  a  table, 
and  had  placed  it  over  the  door  of  the  hut,  leaving, 
beside,  a  gun  and  some  ammunition  there.  I  made  a 
thorough  examination  of  the  place,  casting  out  the  snow, 
but  neither  board,  gun,  nor  any  evidence  of  the  party's 
presence  there  could  I  find. 

Evidently  I  had  lost  the  trail,  but  how  I  could  not  un- 
derstand. There  was  no  doubt  of  my  having  followed 
the  main  branch  of  the  river,  and  certainly  I  had  stuck 
to  the  west  bank  ;  so  where  was  the  mistake  ?  Shortly 
after  leaving  Usterda  I  had  noticed  that  the  river  took  a 
great  bend  to  the  westward,  and  had  then  inquired  of  the 


216  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA, 

natives  if  that  was  the  Oshee  Lena  and  whether  it  led  to 
Mat  Vay  ;  and  upon  their  assurance  that  such  was  the 
case,  I  had  kept  on,  finding  subsequently  that  the  main 
branch  turned  again  to  the  southward,  and,  farther  on, 
to  the  southeast.  I  now  asked  the  natives  if  they  knew 
of  any  other  huts  on  the  west  bank.  Yes,  but  they  were 
a  long  way  off,  or  far  to  the  westward  of  the  river.  Yet 
they  did  know  of  one  close  at  hand  on  the  east  bank. 

Now  it  occurred  to  me  as  quite  probable  that  Ninde- 
mann  had  become  confused  and  mistaken,  or  forgotten 
the  exact  location  of  the  hut ;  for  the  whole  Delta  is 
nothing  but  a  congregation  of  islands  ;  and  it  was  on  one 
of  these,  in  sight  of  a  tall  signal  staff,  and  some  trestle- 
work  which  they  had  taken  for  a  signal  station,  that 
Ericksen,  according  to  Nindemann's  account,  had  died. 
This  was  a  clue  for  me  ;  but  as  soon  as  I  took  the  natives 
into  my  confidence,  they  straightway  found  me  a  dozen 
signal  poles.  I  therefore  concluded  to  try  the  hut  on 
the  east  bank  of  the  main  river.  Slowly  we  crept  on, 
the  poor  dogs  staggering  with  weakness,  and  the  natives 
trudging  along  without  a  murmur ;  while  chilled  to  the 
bone,  I  sat  on  my  sled  in  a  kind  of  dreamy  torpor,  with 
no  other  feeling  than  that  of  hunger.  We  halted  at 
last  before  a  hut,  and  looking  above  the  door  I  saw  there 
was  no  board,  and  knew  that  we  had  only  been  straying 
farther  from  the  trail.  The  natives,  dropping  inside 
through  the  smoke-hole,  hunted  about  but  found  noth- 
ing, and  as  the  hut  was  charged  with  snow  we  could  not 
sleep  there. 

It  was  not  far,  the  natives  said,  to  a  place  called 
Sister  Ganak,  so  thither  we  directed  the  weary  teams. 
Paddy's  face  grew  longer  at  each  step,  as  he  coaxed  and 
cudgeled  the  dogs  by  turns,  and  occasionally  paused  to 
quarrel  with  old  Tomat  for  not  working  as  diligently  as 
himself.  It  seemed  an  interminable  journey;  the  tem- 
pest  strove   to  overwhelm   us   before   we   could  reach 


STRUGGLING    WITH  BOREAS.  217 

shelter ;  and  I,  benumbed  and  half -famished,  saw  nothing 
towards  the  end  but  a  wild  white  sheet  dashing  inces- 
santly at  us,  until,  finally,  a  hut  loomed  up,  and  shortly 
afterwards  I  was  seated  within  it  before  a  roaring  fire. 
The  place  was  roomy  and  comfortably  free  from  snow, 
and  warmed  up  by  our  hot  tea  and  the  cheerful  flames 
we  soon  forgot  the  day's  misery.  Searching  around,  the 
natives  discovered  some  fish  entrails,  a  number  of  dried 
fish  heads  strung  on  a  reed  for  use  as  bait  in  fox-traps, 
and  some  reindeer  bones  with  shreds  of  meat  or  tendons 
left  on  the  legs  and  haunches.  These  things  satisfied  me 
that  De  Long's  party  marched  in  another  direction,  for 
certainly  they  were  not  in  a  condition  to  reject  even  such 
offal.  We  roasted  the  bones  and  fish  heads  in  the  fire 
by  means  of  a  stick,  and  I  would  have  relished  them  had 
it  not  been  for  the  vile  odor  they  gave  forth.  The 
natives  put  on  their  kettle  and  made  a  compound  soup 
of  all  the  refuse  they  could  find  in  the  ash  heap ;  and 
they  seemed  as  happy  as  though  the  pangs  of  hunger  had 
never  assailed  them.  Not  so  our  wretched  dogs,  which 
howled  piteously  throughout  the  night ;  though  Paddy 
set  free  his  two  leaders  and  permitted  them  to  scratch  in 
the  ash  heap  for  whatever  bones  or  bits  we  had  (?)  over- 
looked. 

Would  the  storm  never  cease !  I  asked  the  natives 
how  far  it  was  to  the  next  station  or  hut  on  the  river, 
and  they  said  forty  versts ;  from  which  to  Mat  Vay  it 
was  seventy  more.  A  glorious  prospect,  indeed  :  nearly 
three  hundred  versts  to  the  nearest  settlement ;  remorse- 
less weather ;  not  a  mouthful  to  eat ;  ourselves  half- 
frozen  ;  and  our  dogs,  upon  whom  alone  we  could  depend 
for  rescue,  already  on  the  verge  of  death.  When  morn- 
ing broke  in  wrath,  it  seemed  that  the  tempest  had  only 
rested  during  the  night  to  gather  fresh  force  for  the 
coming  day.  A  pot  of  tea  for  our  breakfast,  and  then, 
though  the  natives  begged  hard  for  a  day's  rest,  I  insisted 


218  IN  THE  LENA  DELTA. 

upon  continuing  the  journey  forty  versts  to  Qu  Vina,  the 
next  hut.  They  demurred  ;  the  dogs  could  not  possibly 
proceed  further  without  food  or  rest ;  but  here  I  explained 
to  them  the  necessity  of  pushing  on,  promising  to  stop 
and  recuperate  at  Qu  Vina  for  one  day  ;  and  so  at  length 
they  yielded  an  unwilling  consent.  Again  we  faced  the 
storm,  weaker  and  hungrier.  My  legs,  however,  in  their 
loose  warm  mittens,  had  so  healed  that  I  was  gradually 
regaining  the  use  of  them,  and  could  manage,  when  the 
dogs  went  slow  enough,  to  stumble  along  at  the  side  of 
the  sled  with  my  hand  on  the  rail.  The  day's  march 
differed  in  nowise  from  the  preceding  ones,  unless  in 
the  increased  feebleness  of  our  poor  dogs,  which  limped 
painfully  on,  exacting  more  and  more  aid  from  the 
drivers. 

The  snow  was  now  so  deep  that  at  times  the  dogs  were 
buried  and  almost  useless,  wallowing  helplessly  about  in 
their  harness.  They  would  labor  for  a  few  minutes  after 
a  long  breathing  spell,  and  then,  when  the  sleds  stuck 
fast,  would  lie  spiritlessly  down,  howling  and  yelping  as 
if  in  expectation  of  a  beating.  And  so  we  struggled  and 
rested,  and  struggled  on  again,  each  time  as  though  it 
were  our  last  pull  for  life  ;  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  the 
terrible  journey  would  have  no  end.  Now  and  then, 
discouraged,  I  would  decide  to  cache  the  relics  at  the 
first  safe  place  we  came  to,  returning  for  them  when  I 
could  ;  but  after  a  moment's  reflection,  recalling  how 
persistently  we  had  clung  to  these  treasures,  —  the  rec- 
ords and  valuable  accumulations  of  our  two  years  of  toil 
and  suffering,  —  and  setting  my  teeth  against  the  storm, 
I  would  swear  a  new  oath  to  carry  them  through,  let  come 
what  might. 

From  our  limited  knowledge  of  the  country,  as  well  as 
from  my  lost  faith  in  our  charts,  I  still  had  hopes  of  find- 
ing my  lost  comrades  dead  or  alive.  The  natives,  with 
whom  I  now  could  converse  quite  intelligibly,  told  me 


STRUGGLING    WITH  BOREAS.  219 

that  the  river  which  we  were  following  led  to  Mat  Vay, 
and  was  the  west  branch  ;  hence  I  felt  assured  that  even 
if  De  Long  had  abandoned  it  he  must  eventually  have 
returned  to  it  again,  as  I  had  followed  Nindemann's 
track  as  far  north  as  Mat  Vay,  and  there  found  the 
Jeannette  waist-belt ;  for  I  did  not  suspect  that  there 
were  a  dozen  rivers  to  the  east  of  me  along  which  he 
might  have  marched  ;  and  yet  that  he  had  really  left 
the  branch  I  was  pursuing  was  evident  alone  from  the 
amount  of  offal  which  we  had  discovered  in  the  huts ; 
and  then,  too,  we  had  come  upon  no  trace  of  him  after 
leaving  Usterda.  Nor  was  this  made  clear  to  me  until 
five  months  afterwards,  when,  returning  on  my  second 
search  accompanied  by  Nindemann,  I  first  conducted 
him  across  the  river  at  Usterda,  and  then  on  down  the 
west  bank  to  where  the  river  takes  a  great  turn  to  the 
westward,  and  was  surprised  to  have  him  assert,  "  Here, 
sir,  we  recrossed  the  river  to  the  eastward,  and  stood 
away  clown  to  the  southward  and  eastward." 

And  this  was  the  cause  of  my  losing  the  trail,  though, 
of  course,  I  had  no  means  then  of  knowing  it ;  but  now 
in  looking  back,  I  can  readily  understand  how  easy  and 
natural  it  was  for  De  Long  to  make  such  a  mistake. 
The  river  veered  to  the  westward.  He  did  not  wish  to 
go  west,  but  south,  and  consequently  recrossed  it.  Then 
again  on  his  chart,  as  indeed  on  all  charts,  just  about 
where  he  imagined  himself  to  be,  is  marked  a  large 
branch,  which  flows  almost  as  far  west  as  the  river  Ala- 
nek,  and  he  doubtless  believed  this  to  be  the  main  west- 
ern branch,  and  that  in  recrossing  it  he  was  on  his  way 
south  to  a  settlement. 

The  days  were  very  short,  the  sun  having  forsaken  us 
when  I  quit  Jamaveloch  to  go  to  Belun  ;  so  it  had  been 
pitch  dark  for  many  hours  ere  we  drew  up  at  Qu  Vina. 
This  was  an  old  hunting  lodge  belonging  to  Tomat,  and 
was  in  a  bad  state  of  preservation,  yet  I  cannot  remember 


220  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

that  the  sight  of  any  dwelling  has  ever  filled  me  with 
half  as  much  joy  as  my  first  glimpse  of  it.  For  I  was 
exhausted  to  the  verge  of  fainting,  and  frozen  to  com- 
plete numbness  or  dumbness,  since  I  was  conscious  only 
of  acting  mechanically.  I  was  awake  and  aware  of  all 
that  was  transpiring  around  me,  but  had  lost  all  feel- 
ing and  power  of  speech,  and  existed  like  an  animated 
dead  man.  I  lay  on  the  sled  until  a  fire  could  be  started, 
and  meanwhile,  as  the  natives  went  back  and  forth,  I  saw 
their  jaws  working,  and  knew  from  their  unnatural  man- 
ner of  talking  that  they  had  found  something  to  eat. 
Crawling  in  on  my  hands  and  knees  I  secured  a  position 
near  the  fire,  the  snow  which  covered  the  unboarded 
floor  forming  a  soft  bed  for  me,  and,  although  there  were 
a  few  berths  raised  around  the  sides  of  the  hut,  I  fell 
asleep  where  I  lay. 

When  the  natives  had  housed  our  sleeping-gear  and 
arranged  matters  for  the  night,  they  awoke  me  to  par- 
take of  the  supper  which  they  had  prepared.  As  the 
hut  was  located  on  one  of  their  deer  runs,  there  was  a 
goodly  quantity  of  offal  inside  and  hung  up  about  the 
door.  The  fur  of  the  deer  legs  is  peculiarly  adapted  for 
the  making  of  boot-tops,  and  is  instantly  cut  from  the 
slaughtered  animal  and  handed  over  to  the  women  to  be 
dressed.  After  the  skins  have  been  removed,  the  legs  are 
roughly  stripped  of  what  little  eatable  tissue  there  is  on 
them,  and  then,  as  the  sewing-thread  used  by  the  natives 
comes  largely  from  this  source,  they  are  generally  hung 
up  to  dry,  and  the  tendons  removed  at  will.  Of  these 
there  was  quite  a  number  in  the  hut,  mostly  with  hoofs 
attached,  which,  indeed,  when  heated  or  softened  in  soup, 
are  well  worth  eating. 

I  drank  a  pint  pot  of  tea,  feeling  considerably  refreshed 
thereby;  and  then  emptied  a  wooden  bowl  full  of  the 
odorous,  if  not  savory,  juice  which  the  natives  skimmed 
from  a  large  kettle  containing  the  shanks,  hoofs,  and  va- 


STRUGGLING    WITH  BOREAS.  221 

rious  bones  of  the  deer.  When  the  kettle  had  been  boil- 
ing for  some  time,  the  natives  drew  forth  from  it  and 
gave  me  portions  of  the  putrid,  stringy  mess,  and,  swal- 
lowing some  of  this  together  with  the  soup,  I  finally 
closed  my  eyes  in  a  much  needed  sleep. 

The  dogs  had  been  fed  on  a  few  of  the  scraps,  the 
leaders  getting  the  remainder  of  our  hot  mess,  and  the 
weakest  were  brought  inside  the  hut  to  thaw  out.  Next 
morning  we  awoke  to  find  the  storm  as  vigorous  as  ever  ; 
but  as  Mat  Vay  was  only  forty  versts  distant  I  deter- 
mined to  accomplish  the  journey  at  once,  since  from  that 
point  there  was  no  place  of  refuge  short  of  Bulcour,  and 
no  succor  nearer  than  Ku  Mark  Surt,  fifty-five  versts  still 
farther  to  the  southward.  The  natives  again  entreated 
me  to  tarry,  saying  it  was  Vos  Crusina  (the  Sabbath 
Day).  "But,"  said  I,  "bless  your  Sabbath,  we  must  go 
on  or  perish."  An  enervating  dysentery  had  attacked 
me,  and  now  besides  cold,  exhaustion,  and  slow  starvation, 
I  had  a  fresh  enemy  to  struggle  with. 

I  was  now  satisfied  that  I  had  done  all  that  was  possi- 
ble for  me  to  do  at  that  season  of  the  year ;  if  De  Long 
and  party  were  alive  and  in  the  hands  of  natives,  they 
were  certainly  as  well  off  as  myself ;  if  dead,  and  of  this 
there  could  be  scarcely  any  doubt,  then  the  natives  were 
wise  in  admonishing  me  that  I  should  die  too  if  I  per- 
sisted in  searching  at  that  season  of  the  year  for  a  lot 
of  corpses,  which  I  could  find  with  safety  in  the  early 
spring.  So  I  urged  an  immediate  departure,  saying  that 
to  delay  meant  to  die  of  starvation  ;  but  the  natives 
looked  incredulous,  and  pointing  to  a  heap  of  refuse,  rich 
in  fish  heads,  skins,  and  bones,  goose  wings  with  feathers 
attached,  deer-skins,  and  other  scraps,  only  smiled  with 
an  air  of  jollity,  and  answered,  "  Cushat  manorga," 
(plenty  to  eat). 

Yes,  thought  I,  a  profusion,  but  heavens !  how  hungry 
a  man  must  be  before  he  would  even  acknowledge  such 


222  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

carrion  as  food.  Much  of  it  was  alive  with  worms, 
which,  indeed,  the  natives  did  not  bother  themselves  with 
removing.  And  here  is  where  I  saw  my  friend  Paddy 
do  justice  to  his  digestion.  His  heavy  lower  jaw  went 
up  and  down  with  the  regularity  and  power  of  a  pair  of 
shears  for  cutting  iron,  crushing  with  ease  the  soft  bones 
of  fish  and  birds  ;  and  Paddy  was  good  to  me,  pulveriz- 
ing with  his  hatchet  some  small  bones,  which  he  extended 
to  me  with  the  assurance  that  I  need  nut  fear  starvation ; 
they  would  keep  hunger  from  our  door,  so  to  speak. 

They  further  argued  that  the  dogs  must  be  rested  and 
fed,  after  which  we  would  start  and  go  directly  on  ;  that 
a  short  distance  from  Qu  Vina,  they  knew  where  a  quan- 
tity of  venison  was  buried,  and  that  if  I  would  wait  over 
Vbs  Orusina  they  would  stop  and  get  it,  and  we  would 
then  have  a  sufficiency  of  food  to  carry  us  to  Ku  Mark 
Surt.  I  was  by  no  means  loath  to  recuperate,  and  eat 
of  our  bountiful  supply  of  offal;  and,  besides,  in  doing 
so  and  resting  the  teams  we  were  doubtless  making  haste 
slowly ;  so  I  made  a  virtue  of  necessity  ;  telling  the  na- 
tives, however,  that  if  the  weather  improved,  we  would 
not  halt  at  Mat  Vay,  but  would  keep  right  on  and  camp 
in  the  snow,  for  a  native  will  never  willingly  abandon  a 
hut  in  bad  weather,  if  provided  with  food. 

Monday  morning  dawned  calm  and  clear,  but  intensely 
cold ;  and  the  stars  glittered  gloriously  in  the  heavens. 
Running  in  an  easterly  direction  for  several  hours,  we 
then  drew  up,  and  the  dogs  being  staked,  Tomat  stretched 
out  my  sleeping-bag  on  the  snow  alongside  of  the  sled, 
and  told  me  to  crawl  into  it  and  spee  (sleep),  until 
they  came  back.  For  about  an  hour  I  lay  there  comfort- 
ably warm,  and  then  the  dogs  bayed  out  their  return. 
They  had  secured  a  lot  of  bones  which  had  been  interred 
the  summer  before,  and  were  now  covered  with  the  black 
earth  of  the  tundra  ;  for  it  is  a  custom  among  the  Yakuts 
to  cut  the  meat  from  the  carcass  of  their  game  for  con- 


STRUGGLING    WITH  BOREAS.  223 

venience  in  transportation,  and  then  bury  the  bones  with 
an  eye  to  future  use  in  case  of  famine,  or  an  emergency 
such  as  had  befallen  us. 

Strapping  the  bones  on  top  of  our  sleds,  we  made  an- 
other start,  keeping  along  a  branch  of  the  river  bed  to 
the  eastward  of  the  one  which  we  had  previously  fol- 
lowed ;  passing  a  couple  of  huts  which  I  had  the  natives 
overhaul;  and,  at  length,  coming  in  sight  of  Mat  Vay, 
far  off  to  the  southward. 

The  weather  had  remained  clear,  and  the  traveling 
was  good,  save  for  the  sand-spits  in  the  river,  which  cut 
the  sled-runners  and  worried  the  dogs.  I  had  now  but 
one  object  in  view  ;  that  of  reaching  Belun,  and  thence 
hurrying  on  to  Yakutsk,  where  I  could  fit  out  another 
expedition  to  continue  my  search  in  the  early  spring,  be- 
fore the  floods  could  carry  off  the  dead  and  their  effects 
to  sea.  So,  agreeably  to  my  expressed  intention,  I 
passed  by  Mat  Vay,  albeit  the  natives  wistfully  eyed  the 
hut  and  longed  to  hear  me  sound  a  retreat.  But  on  we 
went,  pursuing  the  main  channel  of  the  river,  between 
great  blocks  and  hummocks  of  ice,  which,  lodging  there 
the  previous  spring,  had  outlived  the  heat  of  summer, 
and  now  lay  fixed  and  immovable  where  they  had 
grounded. 

Huge  masses  of  solid  ice  were  there,  as  large  as  ordi- 
nary dwelling-houses ;  and  what  surprised  me  most  was 
how  such  monsters  could  have  formed  in  one  season. 
They  were  evidently  the  growth  of  a  single  winter,  cast 
out,  upon  attaining  their  maturity,  in  the  summer  time, 
and  were  now  in  a  proper  position  to  stem  the  spring 
floods  and  act  their  mischievous  part  in  the  great  ice-jam 
which  yearly  gorges  the  Lena  outlet,  and  plays  such  sad 
havoc  with  the  natives  on  the  Delta,  who  must  needs  flee 
to  the  mountains  for  refuge.  As  we  entered  the  mouth 
of  the  main  river,  where  these  giant  blocks  of  ice  lay 
stranded   like  so  many  monuments  of    the  Druids,  the 


224  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

wind  began  suddenly  to  pipe  and  blow  in  our  faces.  We 
bad  sought  an  entrance  where  the  Lena  proper  debouches 
from  between  the  mountain  ranges  which  guard  its  banks, 
and  where  a  vast  natural  funnel  had  been  formed,  through 
which  the  cold  winds,  collected  by  the  high  hills,  were 
driven  with  the  force  of  a  fan-blast. 

Awed  and  charmed  at  sight  of  these  enormous  masses 
of  ice,  I  was  absorbed,  as  we  toiled  slowly  and  laboriously 
along,  in  a  study  of  their  peculiar  structure,  oblivious  of 
the  wind  and  the  monotonous  "  Yap  "  and  "  Tuck  "  of 
the  drivers,  when  Geordi  Nicolai  rudely  awoke  me  from 
a  dream,  —  wherein  a  battle  of  the  giants  who  could  so 
promiscuously  hurl  such  massive  missiles  was  being 
waged,  —  to  say,  — 

"  Bulchoi  balogan,  Manor  !  "  (Big  house,  Major)  ; 
aptly  referring  to  the  size  of  the  ice-blocks.  To  be  sure, 
they  must  have  had  their  origin  in  the  fall,  when  the 
young  ice  running  and  telescoping  formed  into  a  gorge, 
and  the  water  percolating  through  the  masses  cemented 
them  into  solid  bergs. 

But,  aroused  from  my  reverie,  I  looked  around  and  saw 
that  the  natives  were  engaged  in  an  unequal  struggle 
with  the  storm  ;  for  — 

"  Boreas  bad  burst  bis  dungeon,  armed  witb  ice, 
And  snow,  and  bail,  and  stormy  gust  and  flaw." 

Standing  on  smooth  patches  of  ice,  it  was  impossible  to 
resist  the  strong  gale  of  wind,  which,  by  sheer  force, 
swept  sleds,  dogs,  and  men  to  leeward.  Ah  !  it  was  cold  ! 
The  blast  seemed  to  go  clear  through  me  ;  and  presently, 
seeing  that  it  was  almost  impossible  to  make  any  headway 
against  it,  I  told  the  natives  to  camp  behind  one  of  the 
blocks  of  ice.  But  no  ;  they  combated  my  order  in  a 
body,  possessed  of  a  healthy  dread  of  the  river,  even 
in  winter-time  ;  for  they  had  known  it  to  overflow  its 
banks  and  carry  destruction  to  the  valley  in  an  hour. 


STRUGGLING   WITH  BOREAS.  225 

So  we  labored  along  among  the  boulders  of  ice  for  more 
than  a  mile,  and  then  opening  out,  at  length,  into  the 
clear  bed  of  the  river,  we  turned  to  the  west  bank,  where 
there  was  a  sufficient  snow-fall ;  and,  digging  a  square 
hole,  as  before,  in  the  drift,  set  our  sleds  up  to  Windward, 
and  crawled,  cold,  supperless,  and  altogether  miserable, 
into  our  sleeping-bags,  beyond  the  fiercest  fury  of  the 
storm.  And  it  was  an  unspeakable  comfort,  indeed,  to 
lie  there  stretched  out  horizontally  in  the  snow,  and 
feel  the  warm  blood  slowly  coursing  through  our  veins, 
until,  glowing  with  heat,  we  sank  into  a  sudden  and  re- 
freshing sleep. 

Elsewhere  I  have  portrayed  the  alarming  vicissitudes 
of  a  night  in  the  snow ;  how  the  first  stage  or  flush  of 
pleasant  heat,  engendered  by  extra  clothing,  gradually 
cools,  and  the  warm  moisture  or  perspiration  chills,  until 
suddenly  the  sleeper  awakes  —  awakes  if  it  is  extremely 
cold  —  with  a  start  which  robs  him  of  considerable  skin, 
and  renders  him  the  more  painfully  conscious  of  the 
beautiful  snow  which  has  taken  advantage  of  his  slum- 
bering to  drift  under  his  garments.  To  this  I  may  add 
that  it  is  very  arctic  weather  when  the  sleeper's  nose  is 
frozen,  and  then  his  thumb,  when  he  righteously  tries  to 
thaw  out  his  nose  by  holding  it  in  the  palm  of  his  hand 
with  thumb  extended  and  exposed ;  which  thumb  he, 
later  on,  thrusts  into  his  mouth  to  thaw,  and  so  on  ad 
nauseam.  Thus  we  lay  through  the  night,  and  when  day 
came  it  brought  no  lull  in  the  storm ;  and,  since  we  could 
not  hope  to  push  forward,  we  remained  all  that  next  aw- 
ful day,  without  food,  cramped  and  motionless,  with  the 
poor  dogs  cuddled  shivering  on  top  to  keep  us  warm. 

But  when  the  second  morning  arrived,  and  the  gale 
had  sunk  to  a  gentle  breeze,  it  was  absolutely  necessary 
that  we  should  creep  out  of  our  bags  and  again  start  our 
stagnant  blood  into  circulation  ;  and  to  do  so  was  no 
mean  effort,  for  we  all  experienced  considerable  difficulty 

15 


226  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

in  straightening  out,  as  it  were,  the  crooks  in  our  backs. 
The  natives  tried  in  vain  to  build  a  fire  with  the  water- 
soaked  and  frozen  driftwood  which  they  picked  up  about 
the  camp,  until,  finally,  in  despair  and  impatience  to  be 
off,  I  bade  them  pi  dome,  trusting  to  the  near  future  for 
a  good  warming  and  a  cup  of  hot  tea.  But  here  my  ex- 
tra dog-team,  driven  by  Starry  Nicolai,  must  leave  us. 
He  had  come,  according  to  agreement,  as  far  as  he  could 
without  food  for  himself  or  dogs,  and  would  now  return 
to  North  Belun.  Yet,  before  we  parted,  it  was  no  more 
than  right  that  he  should  be  given  a  repast  of  the  best 
that  our  sleds  could  afford  ;  and  so,  when  his  load  had 
been  shifted  upon  the  other  two  teams,  and  I  had  ex- 
changed our  poorest  dogs  for  the  best  of  his,  Tomat  drew 
forth  the  skeleton  ribs  of  venison  which  had  been  disin- 
terred the  day  we  left  Qu  Vina. 

With  an  axe  the  rib  pieces  were  soon  severed  from  the 
back-bone,  and  then  from  the  inside  of  these  the  natives 
cut  strips  with  their  sheath-knives,  and  handed  me  a 
chunky  morsel  from  the  loin,  as  breakfast.  I  bit  into  it 
without  any  ceremony,  while  the  dogs  clamored  frantic- 
ally for  a  share.  So  long  as  it  remained  frozen  the  meat 
did  not  exhibit  the  vile  extent  of  its  putridity ;  but  di- 
rectly I  had  taken  it  into  my  mouth  it  melted  like  butter, 
and  at  the  same  time  gave  off  such  a  disgusting  odor  that 
I  hastily  relinquished  my  hold  upon  it,  and  the  dogs  cap- 
tured it  at  a  single  gulp.  The  natives  first  stared  in 
genuine  astonishment  to  see  me  cast  away  such  good 
food  to  the  dogs,  and  then  burst  forth  into  hearty  laugh- 
ter at  my  squeamishness.  But  I  was  not  to  be  outdone, 
much  less  ridiculed,  by  a  Yakut,  and  so  ordered  some 
more,  perhaps  a  pound  of  the  stuff,  cut  up  into  little  bits. 
These  I  swallowed  like  so  many  pills,  and  then  gazed  on 
my  Yakut  friends  in  triumph  ;  but  not  long,  for  in  a 
little  while  my  stomach  heated  the  decomposed  mess,  an 
intolerable  gas  arose  and  retched  me,  and  again  I  aban- 


STRUGGLING   WITH  BOREAS.  227 

doned  my  breakfast,  —  my  loss,  however,  becoming  the 
dogs'  gain. 

At  this  the  natives  were  nearly  overcome  with  mirth  ; 
but  I  astonished  them  by  my  persistence,  requesting  a 
third  dose,  albeit  the  second  one  had  teemed  with  mag- 
gots ;  and,  swallowing  the  sickening  bits  as  before,  my 
stomach  retained  them  out  of  pure  exhaustion. 

And  now  Starry  Nicolai  was  ready  to  begin  his  return 
trip  of  almost  two  hundred  and  eighty  versts  to  the 
northwest.  I  broke  off  and  gave  him  about  a  quarter  of 
a  pound  of  my  brick  tea,  but  beyond  this  he  had  not  an 
ounce  of  food  for  his  long  and  lonety  journey.  He  begged 
hard  for  one  of  the  tin  cups  ;  but  I  was  obliged  to  refuse 
him  the  simple  thing,  fearing  lest  it  might  lead  some 
other  searcher  astray ;  and  my  heart  misgave  me  as  I 
watched  him,  with  his  miserable  little  team  of  dogs  and 
rickety  old  sled,  trot  slowly  out  of  sight.  Yet  were  my 
fears  happily  groundless,  for  I  hired  him  again  the  fol- 
lowing spring,  and  he  continued  to  drive  teams  for  me 
until  I  left  the  Delta. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 
END   OF  MY  FIRST  SEARCH. 

Forcing  the  Journey.  —  "  Oo,  oo."  —  Bulcour.  —  Rough  Repairing. 
—  "  Paddy  "  despairs.  —  But  quickly  revives.  —  And  performs 
Wonders.  —  Ku  Mark  Surt.  —  Buruloch.  —  My  Deer  Train.  — 
On  to  Belun.  —  Tedious  Progress.  —  Ajaket.  —  Belun. —  Epa- 
tchieff. 

And  now  began  the  most  difficult  and  distressing  stage 
of  our  journey ;  for  we  had  scarcely  set  forth  when  the 
wind  rose  again,  and,  gathering  up  the  sand  and  snow 
from  the  bed  of  the  river,  assailed  us  with  fresh  fury, 
cutting  our  faces  and  filling  our  clothes  with  the  coarse 
rough  grains.  The  dogs,  unable  to  keep  their  feet  on  the 
glassy  ice,  were  borne  hither  and  thither  by  the  cruel 
wind  which  showered  sand  in  their  eyes,  and  so  utterly 
demoralized  them  that  they  fell  down  and  howled  in  ter- 
ror. Then,  too,  the  sled-runners  were  greatly  impeded 
by  the  driving  pebbles ;  and  when  the  natives  guided  the 
teams  along  the  shore  where  the  sand  lay  in  bare  spits, 
the  dogs  were  unable  to  pull  their  loads.  Moreover,  the 
sled-runners  had  now  worn  off  to  such  an  extent  that 
some  of  the  lashings  which  held  them  to  the  stanchions 
had  parted,  and  instant  repairing  was  in  order.  But  the 
natives  were  determined,  if  at  all  possible,  to  accomplish 
this  long  march  to  Bulcour  in  one  day,  and  when  I  sug- 
gested to  Paddy  that  we  camp  at  nightfall,  he  answered 
sturdily,  — 

"  Soak,  pomree ;  poorga  manorga." 

The  natives  saw  that  I  was  very  sick  from  eating  the 


END   OF  MY  FIRST  SEARCH.  229 

decayed  venison,  but  they  were  really  afraid  to  stop  with- 
out shelter  or  fire.  At  length  one  of  the  runners  gave 
way  ;  and  turning  the  sled  upside  down,  a  piece  of  drift- 
wood was  found,  chopped  into  proper  shape,  filled  with 
the  necessary  number  of  holes,  bored  by  means  of  the 
fiddle-bow  drill  instrument,  and  then  lashed  on  with 
thongs  cut  from  the  dog-harness  or  trace  ;  and  soon  we 
were  off  again.  But  lashing  after  lashing  broke,  until  it 
looked  as  though  the  sleds  were  entirely  going  to  pieces. 
I  tried  then  to  induce  the  natives  to  cache  the  loads, 
hasten  on  to  Bulcour  for  the  night,  and  send  back  for 
them  the  next  day.  Tomat  was  perfectly  willing,  but 
Paddy  hung  on  like  a  bull-dog,  telling  me  constantly,  "a 
little  while,  a  little  distance,"  until  I  became  utterly  help- 
less. We  passed  the  "  Place  of  the  Sleighs,"  and  Paddy 
only  said  "  a  little  while,"  and  would  not  consent  to  stop 
at  the  hut.  So  I  lay  on  top  of  the  sled  writhing  in  agony, 
until  at  last,  and  it  seemed  an  age,  the  teams  stopped 
and  I  heard  the  natives  speak  of  water  (Oo,  00),  striking 
the  ice  with  their  iron-shod  staves.  Looking  up,  I  saw 
that  we  had  reached  a  stream  of  comparatively  warm 
water, — for  the  ice  had  hitherto  averaged  a  thickness 
of  four  feet,  —  and  that  the  drivers  were  stretched  out 
on  their  stomachs  eagerly  sucking  up  the  water  through 
holes  which  they  had  punched  in  the  thin  ice.  My  efforts 
to  follow  suit  were  not  rewarded,  for  the  water  would  not 
rise  to  the  surface,  and  my  suction  power  was  too  feeble 
to  draw  it  up.  Afterwards,  particularly  between  Belun 
and  Verkeransk,  I  found  many  such  springs  bursting 
forth  and  flooding  the  ice  for  miles. 

It  was  almost  morning  when,  after  a  succession  of  ac- 
cidents, we  arrived  at  the  foot  of  the  hills  on  which  are 
pitched  the  huts  of  Bulcour.  The  dogs,  too  weak  to 
draw  the  sleds  up  the  bank,  were  turned  loose,  and  the 
natives  then  unloaded  the  sleds  and  cai'ried  them  into 
the  hut  for  repairs.     While  they  were  thus  engaged  I 


230  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

made  strenuous  endeavors  to  scramble  up  the  bank,  but 
it  was  so  steep  that  I  as  regularly  slipped  back,  and  ac- 
complished nothing  but  the  pounding  of  a  shelf  in  the 
snow.  So  I  decided  at  length  to  wait  until  the  natives 
had  time  to  assist  me,  and  sitting  down  I  was  soon  fast 
asleep,  warm  and  comfortable  from  my  fruitless  exer- 
tions. And  there  I  remained  until  the  natives,  missing 
me,  instituted  a  search  and  set  up  a  great  shouting,  which 
finally  resulted  in  their  discovering  me  quite  at  home  in 
the  cozy  pocket  which  my  struggles  had  formed  in  the 
snow.  Sliding  me  down  to  the  foot  of  the  bank,  they 
seated  me  on  one  of  the  sleds,  and  so  drew  me  up  to  the 
hut ;  and  I  had  no  sooner  crept  into  my  sleeping-bag  than 
my  eyes  closed  again.  Hot  tea,  which  they  aroused  me 
to  partake  of,  was  all  I  had  for  supper,  since,  forsooth, 
there  was  nothing  else,  save  the  putrid  reindeer  bones, 
and  of  them  I  had  already  eaten  more  than  enough. 

When  we  awoke,  the  natives  busied  themselves  in  mak- 
ing good  the  damage  to  our  sleds  ;  but  they  did  so  in  such 
a  rude  manner,  piecing  and  splicing  the  runners  with 
rough  short  sticks  of  driftwood,  that  I  remonstrated  with 
them,  asserting  that  the  sleds  would  surely  break  down 
before  going  any  distance.  They  only  looked  at  me  quiz- 
zically, as  though  they  would  say,  "  Go  away,  child  ;  what 
do  you  know  about  sleds  or  venison  ?  "  and  Geordi  Ni- 
colai  playfully  offered  me  a  piece  of  the  latter  which  he 
was  eating.  So  they  had  it  their  own  way,  and  late  in 
the  forenoon  we  succeeded  in  making  a  fresh  start.  I 
tried  again  to  prevail  upon  the  natives  to  store  all  my 
heavy  weights  at  Bulcour,  and  send  for  them  from  Ku 
Mark  Surt,  now  only  fifty-five  versts  distant;  but  Paddy 
was  tenacious  in  his  grip,  and  confident  of  pulling  them 
through,  so  I  did  not  quarrel  with  him.  Yet  we  had 
barely  driven  a  hundred  yards,  when  one  of  the  sled- 
runners  gave  way  ;  and  I  had  consequently  the  laugh  on 
the  natives,  telling  them  that  though  they  could  eat  rot- 


END  OF  MY  FIRST  SEARCH.  231 

ten  meat,  still  I  could  mend  a  broken  sled.  But  even 
after  this,  successive  breaks  occurred,  until  I  feared  a 
total  dissolution  of  our  teams. 

The  snow  had  deepened  considerably  since  my  passage 
north,  some  twenty  days   before  ;  the  dogs  were  worn 
down   to  mere   skeletons ;   and  the  distance  which,  in 
going,  I  had  made  in  less  than  eight  hours,  and  on  my 
return  had  trusted  to  accomplish  in  ten  or  twelve,  it  now 
looked   as  though  we  would   never   cover.      Ku  Mark 
Surt  contained  all  that  was  necessary  for  our  comfort 
and  recuperation ;  but  it  was  evident  that  we  had  forced 
the  distances  and  overworked  the  dogs.      The  natives 
were  worn  out,  and  even  Paddy  threw  down  his  stake  in 
disgust  and  cast  himself  on  the  snow,  cursing  bitterly, 
I  imagine,  in  Yakut.     Yet  it  always  ended  in  a  smoke  of 
the  pipe,  and  then,  when  dogs  and  men  were  rested,  the 
journey  was  once  more  resumed.    Thus  the  day  died  out, 
and,  at  length,  long  after  dark,  we  all  became  so  weary 
that  I  proposed  that  we  camp  over  night  in  the  snow, 
and  finish  the  short  distance  to  Ku  Mark  Surt  in  the 
morning.     Paddy  was  discouraged,   and  had  dejectedly 
taken  a  seat  by  his  sled ;  so  I  ordered  Geordi  Nicolai  and 
Tomat  to  make  camp,  which  they  were  proceeding  to  do, 
when  Paddy  suddenly  revived,  and  stopped  them  with  the 
remark  that  it  was  only  a  little  way  to  the  village.    Then 
stepping  to  the  front  of  his  team  he  seized  the  leading 
dog  by  the  back  of  the  neck,  pulled  him  out  of  the  snow, 
shook  him  vigorously,  and  then,  pointing  his  own  nose  to 
the  stars  after  the  manner  of  the  dogs,  began  howling 
like  a  wolf. 

At  first  I  thought  he  had  gone  mad,  but  presently  the 
dog  caught  the  spirit  of  his  master,  and  elevating  his 
head  howled  dismally.  This  seemed  to  be  precisely 
what  Paddy  desired  ;  he  eagerly  encouraged  the  other 
dogs,  and  in  a  few  minutes  both  teams  were  making 
night  hideous.     With  his  hands  to  his  ears,  Paddy  then 


232  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

stood  in  a  listening  attitude,  while  the  discordant  chorus 
grew  louder  and  louder,  until,  finally,  during  a  brief  lull 
when  the  dogs  paused  to  catch  breath,  he  triumphantly 
exclaimed,  — 

"  Savaccas,  savaccas  !  Ku  Mark  Surt  savaccas  !  " 
I  bent  eagerly  forward  but  could  not  hear  the  dogs  at 
the  village,  for  the  howling  of  our  own ;  but  Paddy  as- 
sured me  it  was  da-loca,  da-loea  (far,  far  away).  And 
now  I  noticed  a  restlessness  among  our  teams  ;  they 
barked  and  snapped  and  leaped  in  their  harness  ;  for  they 
had  detected  the  far-off  wailing  of  their  fellows,  faint, 
but  certain,  in  the  frosty  night  air.  Paddy  warned  me 
to  be  quick,  and  I  had  just  time  to  fall  on  my  stomach 
across  the  sled,  when  the  now  thoroughly  aroused  and 
excited  teams  dashed  forward  at  full  tilt,  vying  with 
each  other  in  their  wild  ardor  to  reach  the  village.  On 
we  flew,  but  Geordi  Nicolai  and  Tomat  had  not  been 
nimble  enough,  and  were  accordingly  left  to  trudge  on 
in  our  wake  laden  with  snow-shovels  and  bedding  ;  nor 
did  they  overtake  us,  for  Paddy's  trick  was  a  brilliant 
coup,  and  the  answering  howl  to  his  Lochiel  cry  inspired 
our  dogs  with  a  new  life  and  strength  —  loaned  them 
wings,  and  when  they  halted  panting  at  the  foot  of  the 
steep  embankment  there  was  a  host  of  canine  friends 
yelping  out  a  welcome  to  them  ;  while  from  the  chimney 
tops  the  flames  leaped  cheerily,  and  the  women  flashed 
their  flambeaux  from  hut  to  hut  preparing  the  way  for 
our  reception. 

Soon  the  sleds  were  hauled  to  a  place  of  safety,  the 
dogs  liberated  and  staked  in  their  harness,  and  later  on, 
when  they  had  rested,  given  a  feed  of  fish  heads.  We 
were  ushered  into  my  old  quarters,  the  principal  hut  of 
the  village,  and  home  of  the  young  lady  who  had  so 
adroitly  combed  her  flowing  and  lively  tresses.  Here  I 
was  entertained  with  a  disjointed  recital  of  the  game  of 
"  hide  and  seek  "  between  the   espravnick  and  myself  ;  I 


END  OF  MY  FIRST  SEARCH.  233 

had  taken  to  the  roads,  they  said,  and  the  espravnick 
had  followed  me  all  around  with  a  bag  of  bread,  —  which 
seemed  to  amuse  them  greatly.  Some  of  the  natives  had 
been  to  Belun  and  seen  the  sailors,  and  consequently 
must  tell  us  all  about  their  peculiarities :  how  one  had 
lost  an  eye,  and  another  who  had  lost  his  mind  wished 
constantly  to  box  with  the  Yakuts ;  and  him  they  mim- 
icked to  perfection  like  so  many  monkeys,  distinctly  pro- 
nouncing the  words  "  Jack  Cole."  They  chattered  about 
the  guns  and  hatchets  and  other  riches  of  the  white 
men ;  whom  they  plainly  considered  a  great  people  and 
very  wealthy,  notwithstanding  that  we  lived  solely  upon 
their  bounty,  and  were  beggars,  indeed. 

I  need  not  tell  how  completely  I  enjoyed  our  supper  of 
fish,  or  the  refreshing  sleep  which  followed.  Before  turn- 
ing in  I  had  removed  my  outer  clothing,  and  bathed  my 
feet  and  legs  in  a  tub  of  hot  water  prepared  by  the  wo- 
men ;  they  then  greased  my  limbs  with  fish-oil  or  goose 
grease,  which  softened  and  loosened  the  clotted  blood 
and  matted  hair.  My  toe  and  finger  nails,  I  found,  had 
turned  black,  beside  curling  up,  and  were  painful  to  the 
touch.  I  slept  soundly  in  the  consciousness  of  having 
done  all  I  could  for  the  relief  or  discovery  of  my  lost 
comrades  ;  and,  however  much  I  regretted  my  failure  to 
find  them,  still  was  it  not  something  —  nay,  a  great  deal 
—  to  have  recovered  our  valuable  records  and  relics  ? 

Early  next  morning  I  was  out  again,  but  could  procure 
no  deer-team  as  I  had  managed  to  do  before,  and  so  we 
were  compelled  to  have  recourse  to  our  dogs,  reinforced 
by  a  few  recruits  from  the  village.  A  comparatively 
good  road  now  lay  before  us,  tracked  out  by  the  many 
teams  which  were  coming  and  going  along  the  east  side 
of  the  river,  the  entire  distance  being  marked  out  by 
stakes  and  tree  branches  set  up  within  sight  of  each 
other.  Arrived  at  Buruloch,  the  deer  station,  I  dis- 
charged Geordi  Nicolai  and  Phadee  Achin,  giving  them 


234  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

all  the  tea  and  small  articles  which  I  could  spare,  together 
with  the  assurance  that  they  would  be  fitly  paid  for  the 
valuable  services  which  they  had  rendered  me.  After  our 
parting  they  refreshed  themselves,  and  coolly  set  out  on 
their  dreary  return  to  Sever  Belun. 

Buruloch  is  the  first  regular  reindeer  station  on  the 
road,  and  here  the  dog  and  deer  teams  are  forever  meet- 
ing.    To  protect  the  deer,  which  are  allowed  to  roam 
about  in  the  woods  and  feed  on  the  moss  which  abounds 
in  this  particular  locality,  several  large  corrals  of  tall 
poles  are  erected  to  confine  the  dogs.     The  owner  of  the 
station  complained  to  me  of  the  great  loss  of  deer  from 
wolves  in  that  vicinity,  and  he  had  consequently  some  dif- 
ficulty in  gathering  together  enough  animals  to  transport 
my  party  and  effects  to  Belun.     After  a  night  here,  in- 
cluding a  supper  and  breakfast  of  boiled  venison,  which 
in  its  best  condition  is  infinitely  worse  than  very  poor 
mutton,  I  watched  the  process  of  arranging  my  teams. 
First  in  order  was  a  leading  driver  with  two  deer  hitched 
abreast  to  his  sled,  to  the  rear  of  which  my  team  was 
attached.     Tomat  came  next,  driving  his  own  deer,  his 
sled  laden  with  part  of  my  treasures ;  then  followed  a 
driver  conducting  two  teams  as  before,  of  two  deer  each, 
bearing  the  balance  of  the  goods ;    and  lastly  came  two 
relief  teams,  making  sixteen  deer  in  all. 

From  this  the  reader  may  partially  appreciate  the  com- 
plex difficulties  of  Siberian  travel,  even  when  conducted 
under  the  most  favorable  circumstances. 

A  team  of  deer  is  not  supposed  to  haul  more  than  five 
pood,  that  is,  two  hundred  pounds,  or  one  passenger, 
whose  provision  box,  not  to  exceed  the  same  weight,  re- 
quires a  second  team,  and  his  driver  must  have  a  third  ; 
so  that  one  traveler  must  needs  employ  six  deer  in  his 
transportation.  The  provision  box  is  a  necessary  part  of 
his  outfit,  since  he  cannot  rely  upon  securing  any  pro- 
visions while  en  route  ;  and  should,  indeed,  take  the  pre- 


END   OF  MY  FIRST  SEARCH.  235 

caution  of  purchasing  and  slaughtering  a  reindeer  for 
his  own  use.  As  he  retreats  from  the  sea,  fish  in  any 
quantity  cannot  be  procured,  and  bread  or  meal,  to  the 
north  of  Verkeransk,  is  utterly  out  of  the  question. 
True,  the  traders  and  coperts  carry  kiln  -  dried  black 
bread  made  of  unbolted  rye  meal,  but  they  use  it  very 
sparingly,  and  consume  large  quantities  of  venison,  fish, 
or  beef ;  whereas  to  the  southward  of  Yakutsk  black 
bread  becomes  literally  the  staff  of  life  ;  and  among  the 
natives  between  Verkeransk  and  Yakutsk,  the  principal 
article  of  food  is  boiled  milk  with  a  little  rye  meal 
stirred  in  to  thicken  it ;  though,  to  be  sure,  venison  and 
beef,  when  procurable,  —  as,  indeed,  the  flesh  of  any 
horse  which  may  die  from  disease  or  be  killed  in  har- 
ness, —  are  all  eaten  with  thankful  avidity. 

We  made  an  early  start  from  Buruloch,  and  I  hoped 
to  reach  Belun  within  ten  hours  as  I  had  easily  done  be- 
fore. The  snow  was  deeper,  but  I  had  plenty  of  deer 
and  two  good  guides  ;  yet  we  had  not  journeyed  far  be- 
fore I  learned  that  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  teams 
so  is  the  difficulty  of  traveling.  For  when  the  first  sled 
went  slow,  the  second  one  was  sure  to  foul  with  it  and 
upset,  and  this  it  did  with  provoking  persistency.  Then, 
too,  the  guides  lost  their  way  (and  who  ever  had  a  guide 
that  didn't);  we  recrossed  the  river  in  search  of  the  road, 
which  we  could  not  find,  and  so  climbed  along  for  a  spell 
over  the  heaped-up  masses  of  ice  on  the  broken  river- 
bed, blindly  returning  at  length  to  the  west  bank.  Time 
ran  on  apace,  the  air  grew  colder  and  more  blustry ; 
and  it  was  all  we  could  do  to  keep  our  sleds  upright  on 
their  runners.  I  now  found  myself  becoming  more  cold 
and  numb  than  usual,  and  could  not  understand  it,  for  I 
had  been  well-fed  and  rested  during  the  past  two  days 
and  nights  ;  but  it  suddenly  occurred  to  me  that  the 
manner  in  which  I  had  boiled  myself  at  Ku  Mark  Surt 
and  removed  the  scabs  from  my  feet  and  legs  had  much 


236  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

to  do  with  my  increased  susceptibility  to  the  weather. 
And  this  was  the  only  reason  I  could  give  myself.  The 
natives,  too,  complained  bitterly  of  the  cold,  and,  after 
wandering  vainly  across  the  river  once  more,  drew  up  at 
a  hut  on  the  east  bank.  Here  we  rested  and  warmed 
ourselves,  and  then  the  drivers,  fortified  with  some  fresh 
information,  again  crossed  over  to  the  other  side,  and  scal- 
ing a  thickly-wooded  declivity,  drove  to  a  wild,  romantic 
spot  in  the  woods,  where  a  few  huts  were  congregated. 
We  halted  at  one  and  made  hot  tea,  the  natives  stuffing 
themselves  with  raw  fish,  of  which  I  did  not  partake. 
Though  half  dead  from  cold  and  exhaustion,  I  was  very 
anxious  to  be  off,  and  roundly  rebuked  the  guides  for 
losing  the  road  and  idling  away  their  time  in  the  huts. 

This  place,  I  learned,  was  Ajaket,  only  a  short  distance 
from  Belun,  but  a  long  way  back  from  the  river ;  and 
when  I  remonstrated  with  the  natives  for  having  gone  so 
far  out  of  their  course  simply  to  drink  tea,  they  explained 
that  the  night  was  much  colder  than  usual  and  they  were 
afraid  I  would  die.  But  the  truth  was  and  is,  that  a 
Yakut  will  travel  forty  versts  in  order  to  drink  tea  with 
his  neighbor,  the  more  gladly  if  the  neighbor  supplies 
the  tea.  Our  road  now  lay  through  the  low  woods, 
across  deep  ravines,,  and  over  hills  until  we  came  upon 
the  river  bank  again,  when  a  brief  run  of  less  than  an 
hour  brought  us  to  Belun. 

The  village  was  slumbering  peacefully,  and  it  required 
no  little  rapping  to  arouse  the  Commandant,  whose  wel- 
come, however,  was  cordial  in  the  extreme.  Yet  this 
last  short  ride  had  severely  taxed  my  remaining  modicum 
of  strength.  I  felt  as  though  all  my  vitality  of  body 
and  mind  had  deserted  me ;  and  had  many  more  hours 
been  added  to  my  arduous  journey  of  twenty-three  days, 
I  certainly  could  not  have  outlived  them. 

The  natives  had  gone  to  the  Balogan  Americanski  and 
apprised  its  occupants  of  my  arrival,  and  Bartlett  and 


END   OF  MY  FIRST  SEARCH.  237 

Nindemann  were  soon  greeting  me.  Swallowing  some  hot 
tea  and  refreshments,  I  then  returned  with  the  men  to 
their  hut,  where  they  were  comfortably  quartered,  and 
found  that  Mr.  Danenhower  had  been  unable  to  secure 
transportation,  as  I  had  ordered,  for  the  whole  party,  but 
had  furnished  five  of  the  men,  beside  himself,  with  fur- 
clothing  and  a  bountiful  supply  of  food,  and  started,  in 
the  best  of  spirits,  for  Verkeransk,  leaving  the  others  be- 
hind to  await  my  return. 

Bartlett  then  informed  me  that  Kasharofski,  the  es- 
pravnick  of  the  district  of  Verkeransk,  had  dispatched 
his  assistant,  Epatchieff,  to  the  Lena  Delta,  to  learn  who 
and  what  we  were.  The  people  of  Eastern  Siberia  had 
never  heard  of  the  Jeannette  expedition ;  so  when  my  tel- 
egram passed  through  Verkeransk,  the  espravnick,  re- 
marking the  strange  characters  in  which  it  was  written, 
and  receiving  at  the  same  time  an  explanatory  letter 
from  the  Malinki  Pope,  sent  for  an  exile,  M.  Leon  by 
name,  who  could  write  and  speak  French,  German,  and 
English,  and  had  him  translate  it,  —  forwarding  it  imme- 
diately after  by  special  courier  to  Yakutsk.  He  then 
sent  his  assistant  at  once  to  Belun,  armed  with  a  box  of 
medicines  prepared  by  Dr.  Buali  (White),  another  exile, 
and  a  letter,  translated  at  his  dictation  by  M.  Leon  into 
French,  German,  and  English,  inquiring  who  we  were  and 
what  he  could  do  for  us. 

I  now  decided  to  wait  until  Epatchieff  returned  from 
his  protracted  search  for  me ;  and  meanwhile  I  urged 
Bieshoff,  the  Cossack  commandant,  to  exert  himself  to 
procure  reindeer  clothing,  and  moccasins,  mittens,  caps, 
etc.,  for  all  my  party  to  use  on  our  sledge  journey  to  Ya- 
kutsk. 

I  arrived  at  Belun  on  the  27th  of  November,  1881 ; 
and  though  I  had  not  succeeded  in  finding  the  bodies  of 
De  Long  and  party,  yet  I  had  diminished  the  distance 
to  be  searched  to  the  space,  north  and  south,  between 


238  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

Usterda  and  Mat  Vay,  which,  as  the  crow  flies,  is  less 
than  one  hundred  miles.  And  here  I  may  mention  the 
surprise  which  Noros  occasioned  me  upon  laying  claim 
to  the  belt  which  I  had  found  at  Mat  Vay  and  had  sup- 
posed, on  the  strength  of  his  and  Nindemann's  story,  to 
belong  to  one  of  the  remainder  of  De  Long's  party. 
During  my  journey  I  had  traveled  in  straight  lines 
1,140  versts ;  but  considering  the  devious  course,  the 
turnings  and  wanderings,  the  distance  may  easily  be 
computed  as  so  many  miles ;  a  verst  being  sixty-six  per 
cent,  of  a  mile.  I  also  fully  informed  myself  of  the  char- 
acter of  the  natives,  the  location  of  their  villages,  and 
the  resources  for  supplies  of  food  and  dogs,  and,  in  fact, 
all  things  which  would  insure  a  successful  search  in  the 
coming  spring.  For  I  had  now  made  in  addition  a  very 
correct  chart  of  the  topography  of  the  Delta,  and  had  De 
Long  possessed  it,  none  of  his  party  need  have  perished. 
Epatchieff,  the  assistant  espravnick,  arrived  in  Belun 
on  the  29th,  and  I  at  once  had  an  audience  with  him. 
At  first  our  progress  in  comprehending  each  other  was 
painfully  slow,  but  Bieshoff,  with  whom  I  had  had  two 
days  of  profitable  conversation,  acted  as  interpreter,  and 
presently  our  jargon  and  pantomime  grew  upon  us,  until 
Epatchieff  was  able  to  say,  "  Very  good,"  when  either 
made  a  particularly  good  hit  in  the  other's  tongue.  So 
that,  indeed,  by  the  time  we  were  ready  to  start  for  Ver- 
keransk  we  had  become  quite  chatty  together,  and  while 
on  the  road,  when  we  halted  at  povarnias,  we  talked  pol- 
itics, religion,  and  anything  else  we  wanted  to.  To  be 
sure  we  would  now  and  then  go  astray  in  our  conception 
of  each  other's  arguments,  as  when  we  were  talking  of 
the  relative  cost  of  steamboats  (jparahotes)  on  the  Lena 
River,  some  of  which  are  made  of  wood  and  others  of 
iron,  —  wood  being  very  plentiful  and  iron  very  scarce,  so 
scarce  that  Epatchieff  emphasized  its  value  by  saying  it 
was  worth  its  weight  in  gold.     At  this,  I  told  him  of  the 


END  OF  MY  FIRST  SEARCH.  239 

great  rarity  and  consequent  value  of  iron  in  Central 
China  QKeW),  remarking,  also,  that  I  had  seen  a  boiler 
weighing  thirty  tons  cut  up  into  little  pieces  and  for- 
warded into  the  interior  on  the  backs  of  men.  To  make 
it  plainer  I  had  reduced  the  weight  ,to  pounds,  60,000, 
and  called  the  boiler,  Jcottle,  or  kettle.  This  was  all 
right,  but  in  describing  it,  I  had  called  it  golatz  (gold) 
instead  of  jalazia  (iron)  ;  whereupon  Epatchieff  looked 
very  mystified  and  then  incredulous,  until  finally  show- 
ing his  finger  ring  and  tapping  one  of  the  dinner-knives 
he  besought  me  to  tell  him  whether  I  meant  golatz  or 
jalazia.  Presently  we  understood  each  other  and  laughed 
heartily. 

With  everything  in  readiness,  I  set  out  December  1st 
in  company  with  Epatchieff  for  Verkeransk.  Before 
leaving  I  first  saw  that  the  remainder  of  my  party  were 
all  properly  equipped  and  provisioned  to  follow  me,  and, 
putting  Bartlett  in  charge,  I  directed  him  not  to  depart 
from  Belun  if  any  man  complained  of  his  clothing  or 
outfit,  but  to  promptly  see  the  commandant,  who  would 
attend  to  all  their  wants.  I  started  in  advance  in  order 
to  prepare  the  way  for  their  coming  and  save  time,  the 
better  so  accompanied  by  the  espravnick,  since  he  has 
the  right  of  way  in  everything.  Then,  too,  a  party  of 
six  with  equipment  cannot  always  be  furnished  with 
transportation  at  one  time,  the  law  limiting  the  number 
to  three  ;  but  I  succeeded  in  making  special  arrange- 
ments for  the  whole  party,  and  thus  avoided  much  suf- 
fering and  delay,  for  although  we  were  all  enjoying  fairly 
good  health,  still  our  former  privations  had  left  us  very 
weak,  and  our  feet  and  legs  were  yet  tender  from  the  ef- 
fects of  frost-bite. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

FROM  BELUN  TO  VERKERANSK. 

My  Record  of  the  Journey.  —  Minus  453  Reaumur.  —  A  Russian's 
Views  of  America  and  her  Institutions.  —  Kasharofski.  — M.  Leon. 

—  My  Letter  of  Instructions.  —  A  Visit  to  the  Hut  of  the  Exiles. 

—  Leon's  Case.  —  Life  at  Verkeransk.  —  Facts  about  the  Political 
Exiles. 

Here  is  what  my  journal  says  of  the  journey  to  Ver- 
keransk :  — 

December  1st.  —  Traveled  ninety  versts  and  halted  at  a 
povarnia  for  tea. 

December  2d. —  Traveled  night  and  day,  sleeping  on  top 
of  my  sled  while  in  motion,  with  my  sleeping-bag  under 
my  head  for  a  pillow,  but  with  no  other  covering  than 
my  deer-skin  clothes.  Much  troubled  by  the  upsetting 
of  the  sled,  and  the  terrible  pains  in  my  feet.  The  deer 
go  too  fast  to  permit  of  my  running  alongside  the  sled 
for  warmth  and  exercise,  so  I  must  only  grin  and  bear  it. 
Stopped  at  six  A.  M.,  and  had  tea.  Made  eighty  versts ; 
stopped  again  for  two  hours  to  rest  and  feed  the  reindeer 
and  breakfast;  then  made  seventy  versts  before  dark, 
halted  for  tea  and  fresh  teams  of  deer,  and  started  across 
the  tundra  one  hundred  versts. 

December  2>d.  —  On  the  go  all  night,  losing  our  way  on 
the  tundra,  and  wandering  aimlessly  about.  Ours  was 
the  best  driver  to  be  had,  but  he  became  hopelessly  con- 
fused. Epatchieff  pointed  out  the  road,  at  length,  re- 
membering: a  small  ravine  which  we  had  crossed.  I  had 
a  compass  with  me,  but  no  one  knew  the  course  over  the 


FROM  BEL  UN  TO   VERKERANSK.  241 

tundra.  We  should  have  accomplished  the  distance  in 
ten  hours,  whereas  it  took  ns  fifteen  hours  and  a  half ; 
and  when  we  halted,  our  feet,  hands,  and  faces  were 
swollen  from  the  intense  cold. 

Sujiday,  December  4th.  —  Traveled  day  and  night, 
arriving  (one  A.  M.)  at  the  first  stancia  (station).  I 
received  two  notes  from  Danenhower,  saying  that  he 
secured  venison  and  frozen  milk  here.  We  changed 
teams  and  drivers  and  were  off  again.  Before  leaving 
the  station,  we  had  a  dinner  of  venison  roasted  on  the 
coals,  and  "noodle-soup,"  Epatchieff  having  been  so 
thoughtful  as  to  lay  in  a  store  of  "noodles"  for  our  jour- 
ney. Made  sixty  versts,  and  then  another  sixty,  hauling 
up  at  a  balogan  ;  and  finally  halted  at  five  o'clock,  hav- 
ing made  one  hundred  and  forty  versts  between  the 
hours  of  four  A.  M.  and  five  P.  M. 

December  5th. —  Made  ten  versts  ;  stopped  to  rest  the 
deer  and  dine,  and  then  on  again  to  a  station,  with  eighty 
versts  more  added  to  our  list  of  magnificent  distances. 
From  noon  we  had  eighty  versts  ahead  of  us,  and  this 
point  is  two  hundred  and  twenty  versts  from  Verkeransk. 
Hauled  up  at  eight  P.  M.  for  tea,  having  covered  the  last 
eighty  versts  in  six  hours  and  a  quarter. 

December  6th.  —  Drew  up  at  three  A.  M.,  with  sixty 
versts  to  our  credit,  in  five  and  a  quarter  hours.  Froze 
my  left  foot  again,  and  it  is  bleeding  all  over.  Cold  !  ! 
Epatchieff' s  Reaumur  says  minus  45°.  Made  sixty  versts 
and  drank  more  tea.  On  again  with  only  thirty  versts 
to  go,  and  these  we  made  by  six  P.  M. 

Nine  hundred  versts  in  five  days  and  eighteen  hours. 
A  fair  showing  indeed.  But  we  traveled  night  and  day 
without  once  sleeping  in  a  hut  or  stancia.  During  our 
stoppages  I  had  a  number  of  pleasant  talks  with  Epa- 
tchieff, who  is  a  Russian,  born  in  Yakutsk,  sociable,  in- 
telligent, and  withal  a  very  fine  fellow.  He  had  many 
queer  questions  to  ask  concerning  America,  the  "  Great 

16 


242  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

Republic,"  and  her  constitution.  He  lives  in  the  hope 
that  Russia  will  some  day  have  a  constitution,  as  many 
unhappy  people  would  thereby  be  saved  from  exile.  He 
has  no  faith  in  the  criminal  classes,  believing,  and  rightly, 
that  they  should  be  punished.  He  told  me  all  about  the 
assassination  of  President  Garfield,  but  said  he  had  been 
stabbed ;  and  he  drew  the  inference  that  too  much  free- 
dom was  the  death  of  presidents  as  well  as  czars ;  a  re- 
public could  not  be  all  good,  else  we  would  not  have 
killed  our  president.  He  is  a  sturdy  Greek  churchman, 
but  has  strange  views  on  religion ;  a  man  born  a  Russian 
and  brought  up  under  the  influence  of  the  Greek  church, 
has  no  right  to  change  or  alter  his  religious  belief  ;  and 
those  persons  who  do,  he  thinks,  are  very  properly  exiled. 
A  man  born  and  educated  a  Romanist  or  Lutheran  (for 
he  knows  no  other  of  the  Protestant  faiths)  may,  how- 
ever, retain  his  religion  and  be  true  to  his  state  ;  but  it 
seems  impossible  to  him  that  a  Russian  could  abandon 
the  national  religion  and  still  remain  loyal  to  his  country. 
He  is  very  much  interested  in  our  marriage  and  divorce 
laws,  and  particularly  inquired  if  it  was  necessary  to 
have  both  the  civil  and  religious  ceremony  performed  ; 
appearing  somewhat  surprised  when  I  informed  him  that 
each  was  equally  binding,  though  certain  persons  made 
assurance  doubly  sure  by  marrying  three  times,  —  once 
by  means  of  a  state  official,  and  twice  by  means  of  clergy- 
men of  different  denominations.  As  to  divorce,  that  was 
purely  a  civil  process,  and  could  only  be  compassed  for 
cause.  He  had  a  very  mistaken  idea  in  regard  to  this 
matter,  having  somehow  or  other  arrived  at  the  conclu- 
sion that  men  and  women  in  America  married  and  di- 
vorced themselves  at  pleasure.  I  plainly  told  him  that 
Siberia  was  the  only  country  I  had  ever  been  in  where 
every  man  had  apparently  a  family,  and  few,  if  any,  had 
wives.  This  may  have  been  putting  it  rather  strong,  but 
throughout  Eastern  Siberia  I  found  as  many  men  with 


FROM  BEL  UN  TO    VERKERANSK.  243 

concubines  as  I  did  with  wives,  and,  moreover,  met  hosts 
of  these  concubines  at  evening  parties,  and  they  mingled 
freely  with  the  wives  of  other  men,  and  it  seemed  all 
right. 

Immediately  upon  my  arrival  at  Verkeransk,  I  was 
driven  to  the  residence  of  Kasharofski,  the  espravnick, 
who  received  me  with  great  kindness.  Danenhower  and 
the  first  section  of  my  party  had  been  nicely  entertained 
here,  the  men  having  been  quartered  at  the  house  of  a 
widow  lady,  where  they  were  well  fed,  and  furnished 
with  plenty  of  tobacco  and  a  very  limited  amount  of 
vodki ;  and,  as  a  matter  of  course,  enjoyed  themselves 
hugely.  Jack  Cole,  poor  fellow,  though  non  compos 
mentis,  was  not  factious,  but  jolly  and  full  of  all  kinds  of 
nonsense.  But  he  became  so  peculiar,  at  length,  that 
Mr.  Danenhower  found  it  necessary  to  place  him  under 
the  care  of  a  Cossack ;  and  then  after  a  few  clays  of  rest 
and  preparation  they  all  set  out  for  Yakutsk  accompa- 
nied by  a  Cossack,  who  vouched  for  their  expenses  on 
the  road.  The  journey  was  a  pleasant  and  merry  one, 
for  they  had  been  well-provisioned  at  Verkeransk,  and 
though  it  was  very  cold  no  one  suffered  greatly,  since  the 
stations  were  located  at  easy  distances.  They  had  not 
left  Verkeransk  when  a  courier  arrived  from  General 
George  Tschernaieff,  with  five  hundred  roubles  for  the 
use  of  the  party,  tendered  by  the  General  from  his  pri- 
vate purse.  Mr.  Danenhower  took  two  hundred  of  the 
roubles  and  left  the  remainder  for  me,  but  as  I  had  no 
need  of  any  money  I  placed  it  in  the  hands  of  Kasharof- 
ski, and  had  all  my  bills  carried  forward  ;  this  I  did  to 
avoid  a  complication  of  accounts. 

Directly  after  my  arrival,  the  espravnick  sent  for  M. 
Leon,  one  of  the  political  exiles  in  his  keeping,  to  act  as 
interpreter  between  us.  M.  Leon  came  and  introduced 
himself  as  the  gentleman  who  had  written  the  letter  for 
the    espravnick  to  me  while  I  was  at  the  Delta;    and 


244  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

now,  while  he  interpreted  for  us,  he  managed  to  inter- 
polate for  my  benefit  a  part  of  his  history.  We  had  a 
capital  dinner  together  of  teal,  duck,  snipe,  and  other 
game  which  Kasharofski  kept  frozen  in  his  ice-cellar  the 
whole  year  round.  Leon  told  me  that  he  had  never  be- 
fore eaten  at  his  table,  though  often,  at  first,  invited  to 
do  so ;  for  Leon  was  a  very  bitter  Nihilist,  and  would 
not  fraternize  with  his  keepers.  Kasharofski  had  a 
son,  whom  I  named  the  Malinki  Soldat  (Little  Soldier), 
greatly  to  the  delight  of  both.  Mrs.  Kasharofski  was 
a  pleasant,  fair-haired,  good-looking  woman,  seemingly 
quite  content  to  spend  her  days  in  this  remote  wilder- 
ness of  snow,  cooking  and  caring  for  her  house,  and 
spouse,  and  little  son.  She  waited  on  us  at  table,  and 
did  not  sit  down  until  after  we  were  through.  It  was 
the  first  good  meal  I  had  eaten  since  leaving  San  Fran- 
cisco. There  was  some  red  wine  on  the  table,  called 
melivki,  which  is  made  of  dilute  vodki  and  wild  red  ber- 
ries, pleasant  to  the  taste  and  not  very  heady  ;  and  then 
there  were  also  cognac,  and  plain  vodki,  which  is  nothing 
more  than  unrectified  rye  whiskey  of  about  sixty  per 
cent. 

Our  conversation  was  prolonged  until  three  or  four 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  for,  of  course,  I  had  the  story  of 
the  Jeannette  to  tell  in  all  its  mournful  details. 

Leon  informed  me  that  no  news  had  ever  reached  them 
of  our  party ;  that  they  had  recently  heard  of  a  German 
Expedition,  but  knew  nothing  whatever  about  us  or  our 
cruise  until  we  actually  came  up  out  of  the  Polar  Sea  to 
visit  them.  I  could  see  his  eyes  brighten  when  I  spoke 
of  the  facility  with  which  I  could  navigate  the  coast  of 
Siberia  in  a  vessel  as  small  as  our  whale-boat.  Kasharof- 
ski -was  anxious  to  learn  all  about  the  clothing  and  pro- 
visions necessary  to  undertake  jonrneys  such  as  we  had 
been  making  ;  and  as  my  narrative  passed  the  lips  of 
Leon,  the  young  exile  drank  in  every  word,  and  his  face 


FROM  BEL  UN  TO    VERKERANSK.  245 

flushed  with  hope  and  joy  while  I  opened  to  his  glisten- 
ing eyes  a  glorious  vision  of  escape  from  an  odious 
imprisonment. 

Next  morning  Leon  came  again  to  breakfast  with  us 
and  to  continue  in  his  office  of  interpreter.*  While  at 
table  he  told  me  that  in  putting  Kasharofski's  questions 
he  would  take  the  liberty  of  asking  a  number  of  his  own. 
When  we  had  finished  our  meal  I  requested  Kasharofski 
to  send  an  order  at  once  to  Bieshoff,  the  commandant  at 
Belun,  directing  him  to  continue  the  search  until  my  re- 
turn, or  the  arrival  of  some  other  American  officer  on  the 
spot.  The  following  is  my  letter  of  instructions,  which 
Leon  translated ;  and  it  was  instantly  dispatched  to  Be- 
lun by  special  courier,  a  copy  being  forwarded  to  General 
Tschernaieff. 

Verkeransk,  December  7,  1881. 
ESPRAVNICK,    ETC.  : 

Sir, —  It  is  my  desire  and  the  wishes  of  the  Government  of 
the  United  States  of  America  and  of  the  projector  of  the  Amer- 
ican expedition  that  a  diligent  and  constant  search  be  made  for 
my  missing  comrades  of  both  boats.  Lieutenant  De  Long  and 
his  party,  consisting  of  twelve  persons,  will  be  found  near  the 
bank  of  the  Lena  River,  west  side  of  the  river.  They  are  south 
of  the  small  hunting  station  known  among  the  Yakuts  as  Qu 
Vina.  They  could  not  possibly  have  marched  as  far  south  as  Bul- 
cour ;  therefore,  be  they  dead  or  alive  they  are  between  Bulcour 
and  Qu  Vina.  I  have  already  traveled  over  this  ground,  but 
followed  the  river  bank ;  therefore  it  is  necessary  that  a  more 
careful  search  be  made  on  the  high  ground  back  from  the  river 
for  a  short  distance  as  well  as  along  the  river  bank.  I  examined 
many  huts  and  small  houses  but  could  not  possibly  examine  all 
of  them;  therefore  it  is  necessary  that  all  —  every  house  and 
hut,  large  and  small,  must  be  examined  for  books,  papers,  or  the 
persons  of  the  party.  Men  without  food  and  but  little  clothing 
would  naturally  seek  shelter  in  huts  along  the  line  of  their 
march,  and  if  exhausted  might  die  in  one  of  them.  They  would 
leave  their  books  and  papers  in  a  hut  if  unable  to  carry  them 


246  JN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

farther.  If  they  carried  their  books  and  papers  south  of  that 
section  of  country  between  Mat  Vay  and  Bulcour,  their  books 
and  papers  will  be  found  piled  up  in  a  heap,  and  some  prominent 
object  erected  near  them  to  attract  the  attention  of  searching 
parties  ;  a  mast  of  wood  or  a  pile  of  wood  would  be  erected  near 
them  if  not  on  them.  In  case  books  or  papers  are  found,  they 
are  to  be  sent  to  the  American  minister  resident  at  St.  Peters- 
burg. If  they  are  found  and  can  be  forwarded  to  me  before  I 
leave  Russia,  I  will  take  them  to  America  with  me. 

If  the  persons  of  my  comrades  are  found  dead  I  desire  that 
all  books  and  papers  be  taken  from  their  clothing  and  forwarded 
to  the  American  miuister  at  St.  Petersburg,  or  to  me  if  in  time 
to  reach  me  before  leaving  Russia.  The  persons  of  the  dead  I 
wish  to  have  carried  to  a  central  position  most  convenient  of 
access  from  Belun,  all  placed  inside  of  a  small  hut,  arranged 
side  by  side  for  future  recognition,  the  hut  then  securely  closed 
and  banked  up  with  snow  or  earth,  and  remain  so  until  a 
proper  person  arrives  from  America  to  make  final  disposition 
of  the  bodies.  In  banking  up  the  hut  have  it  done  in  such  man- 
ner that  animals  cannot  get  in  and  destroy  the  bodies. 

Search  for  the  small  boat,  containing  eight  persons,  should  be 
made  from  the  west  mouth  of  the  Lena  River  to  and  beyond 
the  east  mouth  of  the  Jana  River.  Since  the  separation  of  the 
three  boats  no  information  has  been  received  concerning  the 
small  boat ;  but  as  all  three  boats  were  destined  to  Barkin,  and 
then  to  go  to  a  Lena  mouth,  it  is  natural  to  suppose  that  Lieut. 
Chipp  directed  his  boat  to  Barkin  if  he  managed  to  weather 
the  gale  ;  but  if  from  any  cause  he  could  not  reach  a  Lena  mouth, 
Lieut.  Chipp  would  continue  along  the  coast  from  Barkin,  west 
for  a  north  mouth  of  the  Lena,  or  south  for  an  eastern  mouth 
of  the  Lena  River.  If  still  unsuccessful  in  getting  into  the 
Lena  River,  he  might  from  stress  of  weather,  or  other  cause, 
be  forced  along  the  coast  toward  the  Jana  River. 

Diligent  and  constant  search  is  to  commence  now,  in  Decem- 
ber, and  to  continue  until  the  people,  books,  and  papers  are 
found,  care  being  taken  that  a  vigilant  and  careful  examination 
of  that  section  of  the  country  where  Lieutenant  De  Long  and 
party  are  known  to  be  is  made  in  early  spring-time,  when  the 


FROM  BELUN   TO    VERKERANSK.  247 

snow  begins  to  leave  the  ground  and  before  the  spring  floods 
commence  to  overflow  the  river  bank.  One  or  more  American 
officers  will,  in  all  probability,  be  in  Belun  in  time  to  assist  in 
the  search,  but  the  search  mentioned  in  these  instructions  is  to 
be  carried  on  independently  of  any  other  party,  and  to  be  en- 
tirely under  the  control  of  the  competent  authority  of  Russia." 

Leon  now  urgently  invited  me  to  visit  his  comrades  in 
exile.  I  asked  Kasharofski  if  he  had  any  objection,  and 
he  said,  "  Oh  no ;  he  did  not  believe  a  Nihilist  could 
hurt  a  Republican  ;  but  dinner  would  be  ready  at  four." 
So  he  sent  me  to  the  hut  of  the  exiles  in  his  sleigh,  which 
returned  again  for  Leon  and  myself  at  dinner  time. 

M.  Leon  was  a  slenderly  built,  dark,  and  cadaverous- 
visaged  young  man  with  a  Jewish  cast  of  countenance ; 
though  when  I  asked  him,  he  said  he  was  not  a  Hebrew. 
His  hair  was  black  and  long,  reaching  to  his  shoulders. 
He  had  been  a  student  of  law,  he  told  me,  and  was  ar- 
rested in  a  students'  row  on  the  streets,  and  afterwards 
brought  before  three  separate  tribunals,  not  one  of  which, 
however,  had  been  able  to  find  anything  irregular  in  his 
habits  of  life  ;  and  so,  indeed,  his  final  commitment  pa- 
pers expressly  stated.  While  en  route  to  Siberia  he 
asked  the  Cossack  officer  of  his  guard,  a  good-natured 
fellow,  to  permit  him  to  look  at  these  papers.  His  re- 
quest was  granted,  and  he  learned  that  he  had  been  sent 
out,  after  the  different  tribunals  had  acquitted  him,  on 
what  is  known  as  an  "administrative  order,"  —  a  remark- 
able instrument  which  closed  with  the  following  piece 
of  legal  logic  :  — 

"  We  can  prove  nothing  against  this  man,  but  he  is  a 
student  of  law  and  no  doubt  a  very  dangerous  man." 

And  he  was  accordingly  banished  for  life.  Leon  had 
preserved  a  copy  of  his  commitment  papers,  which  he 
exhibited  to  me  with  a  great  deal  of  merriment  at  the 
peculiar  philosophy  of  the  administrator. 

In   the  hut  I  found   four  other  young  men,  Messrs. 


248  IN   THE  LENA  DELTA. 

Loimg,  Zack,  Artzibucheff,  and  Tzarensky,  all  political 
exiles ;  the  oldest  twenty -seven,  and  the  youngest  eigh- 
teen years  of  age.  They  were  all  professional  men,  and 
spoke  French  fluently ;  some,  German,  too,  and  others  a 
little  English.  All  were  earnest  Nihilists,  though  several 
said  they  had  not  been  so  until  after  their  banishment. 
Each  had  his  sad  and  sorry  story  to  tell,  and  all  looked 
upon  me  as  a  most  curious  phenomenon.  They  came 
from  different  parts  of  the  empire,  had  known  the  inte- 
rior of  Russian  prisons  all  the  way  from  Archangel  to 
the  Crimea,  and  were  finally  sent  to  the  frontier  to  in- 
sure their  safety.  They  were  eager  questioners  in  regard 
to  the  navigation  of  the  Siberian  coast,  having  in  their 
possession  a  number  of  charts  and  maps,  and  they  had 
often  talked  and  dreamed,  they  said,  of  attempting  an 
escape,  but  two  thousand  miles  of  coast -line  and  more 
than  one  thousand  miles  of  river  navigation  had  seemed 
an  impossible  feat  until  we  had  accomplished  it,  and 
risen  before  them  like  a  pillar  of  hope. 

With  Kasharof ski's  permission,  I  visited  them  daily 
while  awaiting  the  arrival  of  my  men  from  Belun.  In 
the  evenings  several  little  parties  were  given,  where  I 
met  the  elite  of  Verkeransk.  At  these  affairs  the  people 
sang,  played,  ate,  and  everybody  seemed  to  gamble,  drink, 
and  smoke.  The  women  had  separate  apartments  where- 
in they  did  all  these  things;  and  I  dumfounded  the 'as- 
semblies by  telling  them  that  I  never  played  cards,  not 
even  in  my  own  country.     Leon,  who  was  present,  said : 

"  They  will  suspect  you  of  some  evil,  for  they  argue 
thus :  This  is  a  queer  man  who  neither  gambles  nor 
drinks :  he  must  be  always  thinking,  and  a  man  who 
thinks  much  must  have  some  evil  thoughts — so  banish 
him  at  once  !  " 

But  this  was  the  speech  of  a  poor  exile,  whose  life  was 
ruined  because  by  reading  and  reflecting  he  had  learned 
to  speak  the  truths  of  moral  and  political  science,  yet  had 


FROM  BELUN  TO    VERKERANSK.  249 

unwisely  spoken  them  too  loud,  and  so  convicted  himself 
as  a  corrupter  of  the  truth.  He  was  fully  acquainted 
with  the  works  of  our  modern  philosophers  and  political 
economists,  John  Stuart  Mill,  Richard  Cobden,  Herbert 
Spencer,  etc.,  and  longed  for  a  supply  of  English  books ; 
for  at  the  hut,  though  they  had  French,  German,  and 
English  dictionaries,  they  had  no  reading  matter  of  any 
kind  in  our  language,  and  so  implored  me  to  give  them 
the  Bible  or  any  other  English  print  I  had  in  the  navi- 
gation box ;  but  as  these  were  relics  of  the  expedition,  I, 
of  course,  could  not  part  with  them. 

My  stay  at  Verkeransk  was  both  a  pleasant  and  profit- 
able one.  I  made  a  copy  of  the  Russian  chart  of  the  Lena 
Delta  for  future  use,  and  had  frequent  interviews  with  the 
political  exiles.  Their  hut  was  a  miserable  affair,  built 
in  the  manner  of  the  Yakut  yaurta,  of  vertical  timber 
covered  with  mud.  There  were  the  usual  outer  and 
inner  apartments,  a  kind  of  weather  porch,  and  a  kitchen 
which  contained  their  fire-place  and  cooking  apparatus. 
In  the  inner  apartment  they  lived  and  kept  their  books, 
beds,  clothing,  etc.  The  walls  were  overspread  with 
Russian  picture  papers,  but  the  room  was  so  low  and 
dark  and  musty  that  it  was  a  very  disagreeable  place  to 
visit,  much  more  to  live  in.  At  midday  it  was  neces- 
sary to  burn  candles  for  light ;  and  they  were  compelled 
to  this  manner  of  living  by  their  poverty.  The  govern- 
ment allowed  each  one  for  all  his  wants  a  monthly  sub- 
sidy of  twenty-five  roubles,  —  a  sum  equivalent  to  about 
twelve  dollars  and  a  half  in  our  money ;  a  stipend  on 
which  they  must  feed,  clothe,  and  house  themselves, 
beside  procuring  fire-wood  and  service.  And  this,  too, 
in  a  locality  where  rye  meal  costs  five  roubles  per  pood 
of  forty  pounds  Russian,  or  about  thirty-six  pounds  avoir- 
dupois, as  the  Russian  pfeund  is  about  fourteen  ounces 
avoirdupois  as  against  the  American  pound  of  sixteen. 
Sugar  is  valued  at  oue  rouble  per  pound ;  but  venison, 


250  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

beef,  horse-flesh,  and  fire-wood  are  not  very  expensive. 
Yet  all  the  necessaries  of  life, —  everything  which  re- 
deems it  from  a  primitive  state,  —  are  costly  in  the 
extreme.  Some  of  the  exiles  had  wealthy  relatives  who 
sent  them  money,  but  such  sums  could  not  exceed  three 
bundled  roubles  at  one  payment,  and  the  mails  are  very 
irregular,  often  but  once  in  six  months,  though  there 
may  be  a  mail  at  odd  intervals  throughout  the  winter, 
whenever  a  copert  or  some  official  has  occasion  to  go 
over  the  road.  Yet  no  sealed  package  of  any  kind  is 
suffered  to  go  or  come  from  an  exile;  everything  must 
be  opened,  and  read  or  examined  by  the  espravnick  of 
the  district,  or  the  post  or  police  master,  and  perhaps 
appropriated. 

My  coming  filled  them  with  the  wildest  hopes,  for 
heretofore  it  had  been  considered  as  impossible  to  effect 
an  escape  by  the  ice  of  the  Arctic  Ocean  as  to.  cross  a 
living  sea  of  fire ;  and  doubtless  for  them  it  would  be,  as 
there  was  not  a  sea-faring  man  in  their  number,  or  one,  I 
suspect,  who  had  ever  seen  the  rolling  ocean.  Yet  before 
I  left  they  told  me  that  they  intended  to  make  the 
attempt,  and  I  ardently  hoped  that  it  might  be  crowned 
with  success.  For  here  I  saw  youth,  intelligence,  and 
refinement  immured  for  life  in  an  Arctic  desert,  with  no 
companionship  of  books  or  cultivated  society,  surrounded 
by  filthy  and  disgusting  Yakuts,  who  were  partly  their 
keepers.  For  the  natives  are  held  strictly  accountable, 
under  penalty  of  the  dreaded  knout  and  imprisonment, 
for  the  escape  of  an  exile,  since  it  is  utterly  out  of  the 
question  for  any  one  to  travel  a  great  distance  into  the 
country  without  their  aid  or  knowledge.  As  a  guest  of 
the  nation  and  a  continuing  recipient  of  its  succor  and 
hospitality,  I  could  not  honorably  abet  the  exiles  in  their 
plans  for  escape;  yet  as  a  Republican  I  am  free  to  say 
that  all  my  sympathies  were  with  them,  —  the  oppressed 
for  speech  sake.     For  it  was  one  of   these  young  men 


FROM  BELUN  TO    VERKERANSK.  251 

who  told  me  that  all  they  asked  and  strove  for  was  a 
constitutional  form  of  government,  let  the  constitution 
be  what  it  might.  They  only  wanted  the  privilege  of 
being  imprisoned,  and  hanged,  if  needs  be,  under  a  Rus- 
sian law  and  constitution  ;  and  not  driven  like  a  herd  of 
sheep  by  the  police  master  of  a  town  or  city  into  prison 
or  exile,  without  the  benefit  of  trial  before  any  tribunal, 
or  if  a  mock  hearing  could  be  had,  as  in  Leon's  case,  yet 
not  before  such  an  administrator,  who  on  his  very  com- 
mitment papers  would  record  himself  a  judicial  ass. 

Still,  Leon,  in  his  character  of  interpreter,  obtained  for 
himself  and  companions  the  full  benefit  of  my  recountal 
to  Kasharofski  of  the  Jeannette's  cruise  and  equipment; 
our  retreat,  supplies,  clothing,  and  line  of  march.  The 
youngest  of  the  exiles,  called  the  "  Little  Blacksmith," 
had  been  a  polytechnic  scholar,  and  seemed  to  be  the 
physicist  in  general  of  the  party.  He  gazed  fondly  on  the 
sextant  in  my  possession ;  for  with  it  he  could  find  his 
way  across  the  tundra  and  the  ocean.  They  had  watches 
and  compasses,  but  no  means  of  determining  latitude,  or 
tables  for  computing  longitude.  So  this  earnest  young 
Nihilist  began  the  construction  of  a  sextant,  and  had 
already  his  navigation  tables  in  course  of  preparation, 
using  a  Russian  almanac  to  find  the  sun's  declinations, 
etc.  It  was  their  intention  to  build  a  boat  on  the  Jana 
River,  near  Verkeransk,  and  attempt  a  passage  of  one 
thousand  miles  to  the  sea-board,  and  then  a  voyage  of 
nearly  two  thousand  miles  along  the  coast  of  Siberia  to 
East  Cape  or  Behring  Strait. 

I  afterwards  learned  with  regret  that  they  had  indeed 
essayed,  but  unsuccessfully,  to  carry  their  bold  project 
into  effect.  Eluding  their  pursuers,  they  succeeded,  after 
many  difficulties,  in  working  their  way  down  the  Jana, 
past  a  large  village  near  its  mouth,  to  within  sight  of  the 
sea,  and  could  then  have  accomplished  their  escape  with 
comparative  ease  ;  but  the  rolling  waves  paralyzed  them 


252  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

with  terror  and  tumbled  into  the  boat,  which  was  over- 
laden with  its  freight  of  thirteen  exiles  ;  and  when  they 
ran  ashore  it  swamped  and  soaked  their  provisions.  One 
of  their  number  was  a  young  woman,  of  whom  more 
anon ;  but  even  she  was  made  of  sterner  stuff  than  the 
two  others  who,  frightened  at  their  situation,  straightway 
surrendered  themselves  to  the  authorities  at  Oceansk, 
who  soon  after  captured  the  rest  and  sent  them  all  into 
worse  exile,  if  possible,  than  before.  Leon  was  for- 
warded to  the  river  Kolyma,  and  others  were  removed 
from  the  settled  districts,  and  placed  among  the  Yakuts. 
And  what  else  could  I  do  but  admire  them  and  their 
pluck,  whose  greatest  offenses  had  been  boyish  indis- 
cretions, rows  in  the  streets,  for  none  of  them  had  yet 
become  master  of  his  profession  ?  And  so,  in  the  eyes  of 
every  American,  born  to  believe  that  free  speech  and  a 
free  press  are  absolute  and  indefeasible  rights,  must  the 
overwhelming  and  horrible  punishment  meted  out  to 
these  exiled  youth  appear  shamefully  despotic  and  cruel. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
FROM  VERKERANSK   TO  YAKUTSK. 

Penavitcb.  —  Doctor  Buali.  —  His  Sad  Story.  —  Those  Terrible  Ni- 
hilists. —"  A  Dead  Nihilist  and  a  Dead  Czar."  —Happy  Lovers. 
—  I  take  a  Remarkable  Russian  Bath,  and  a  Very  Bad  Cold.  — 
Off  to  Yakutsk.  —  Siberian  Scenery.  —  The  Horse  and  his  Trou- 
bles.—A  Queer  Predicament.  —  Kangerack.  —  Crossing  the  Di- 
vide. —  A  Dangerous  Descent.  —  A  Tunguse  Home.— Exasperat- 
ing Yamshicks.  —  A  Sickening  Sight.  —  Native  Grist-Mills.  —  A 
Learned  Exile.  —  The  Scaups. 

During  my  sojourn  at  Verkeransk,  there  arrived  from 
Yakutsk  a  police  agent  named  Penavitch,  who  was  like- 
wise one  of  General  Tsckernaieff's  secretaries.  He  and 
Kasharofski  were  warm  friends,  and  while  in  Verkeransk 
he  stopped  at  the  house  of  the  espravnick.  I  made  ar- 
rangements to  ride  back  with  him  to  Yakutsk,  and  so 
awaited  with  increasing  anxiety  the  arrival  of  Bartlett 
and  party. 

Penavitch  was  a  great,  jolly,  good  fellow,  and  he  took 
me  to  visit  some  of  the  coperts  in  the  town,  who,  after  a 
manner,  were  also  choice  spirits ;  ever  ready  to  make  a 
rouble,  but  good-livers  and  hospitable  to  a  degree  beyond 
their  means.  They  all  wear  a  peculiar  dress  prescribed 
by  their  guild,  which  consists  chiefly  in  allowing  their 
long  woolen  shirts  to  hang  outside  their  trousers,  broad! y 
belted  in,  however,  at  the  waist,  and  I  saw  the  embryo 
Yakut  copert  sailing  about,  in  imitation  of  his  white  in- 
structor, with  his  colored  flannel  shirt  flying  to  the 
breeze. 


254  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

I  also  visited  another  exile,  named  Dr.  Buali  (White), 
who  lived  apart  from  his  companions,  and  was  then  per- 
forming the  duties  of  the  government  surgeon,  who  had 
become  blind  from  a  cataract  and  was  about  leaving  the 
district  to  have  it  removed.  Dr.  Buali  had  been  very- 
kind  in  his  attentions  to  Danenhower  and  Leach,  and  it 
was  he  who  had  prepared  the  box  of  medicines  forwarded 
to  us  at  Belun.  His  life  held  more  of  sorrow  in  it  than 
that  of  most  men.  He  had  been  a  practicing  physician 
in  one  of  the  small  cities  of  Little  Russia,  or  the  Crimea ; 
had  neither  committed  any  crime  or  ever  belonged  to  any- 
secret  society ;  and  he  seemed  to  believe  that  his  only  of- 
fense had  been  the  marrying  of  the  lady  whom  he  loved, 
in  a  neighboring  village  ;  for  he  knew  not  that  he  had  a 
rival. 

The  story  of  his  capture  and  removal  to  Verkeransk 
was  tearfully  translated  to  me  by  Leon,  his  friend  and 
comrade  in  misery.  It  seems  that  for  a  week  he  had 
been  attending  the  little  daughter  of  the  police  master, 
who  at  length  so  far  recovered  that  he  erased  her  name 
from  his  visiting  list.  But  one  morning  he  was  surprised 
to  receive  a  call  from  the  police  master's  Cossack,  who 
said  his  presence  was  demanded  at  once  at  the  house  of 
his  master,  for  the  child  was  seized  with  another  attack 
of  illness. 

"  I  imagine  it  is  not  serious,"  Buali  had  replied  ;  "  I 
will  be  there  after  breakfast." 

Bnt  the  Cossack  insisted  upon  instant  attendance,  and 
so  he  bade  him  wait  until  he  got  his  coat,  but  here  again 
the  Cossack  interposed,  saying  that  it  was  not  necessary, 
the  house  was  only  a  little  distance  off,  and  that  the  po- 
lice master  intended  that  he  should  breakfast  there.  So, 
dreading  lest  the  child  might  indeed  be  seriously  ill,  lie 
hastened  off  at  once,  but  on  the  way  the  Cossack  said 
they  must  first  go  to  the  office  of  his  master.  He  fol- 
lowed wonderingly,  but    never  for  a   moment  dreamed 


FROM  VERKERANSK  TO   YAKUTSK.  255 

that  anything  was  wrong ;  and  so  he  was  ushered  into 
the  police  office,  and  later  into  an  anteroom,  where  the 
police  master  told  him  he  was  a  prisoner. 

"  A  body  of  exiles,"  said  the  heartless  wretch,  "  are 
ready  to  start  for  Siberia,  and  you  will  go  with  them." 

Buali  laughed  —  it  was  a  good  joke,  but  the  police 
master  assured  him  it  was  a  solemn  fact ;  and  then  the 
poor  man,  completely  overwhelmed,  prayed  gaspingly  for 
a  delay  in  his  transportation.  Why  was  he  deprived  of 
his  liberty  ?  Who  was  his  accuser  ?  What  was  the  ac- 
cusation?    No  answer  save  "  Administrative  order." 

But  could  he  not  revisit  his  house  under  guard,  and  se- 
cure certain  necessary  articles  of  clothing?  Could  he  not 
at  least  return  and  say  farewell  to  his  young  wife?  The 
brutal  officer  denied  him  everything ;  "And  then,"  he  said, 
"I  wailed  in  anguish,  but  they  placed  me  in  solitary  con- 
finement to  await  the  departure  of  the  draft,  and  in 
twelve  hours  I  was  on  my  way  to  Siberia." 

Of  course,  he  was  half-crazed.  What  would  become  of 
his  young  wife  —  what  would  she  think  of  him?  Doubt- 
less, that  he  had  deserted  her.  A  thousand  thoughts  and 
suspicions  racked  his  mind,  and  he  had  already  lived 
through  an  age  of  torture,  when,  hurried  on  across  the 
frontier  by  rail  and  steamboat,  he  chanced  at  a  certain 
railway  station  to  recognize,  from  the  cage-carriage  in 
which  he  was  confined,  an  old  merchant  friend.  Calling 
to  him  eagerly,  he  briefly  told  the  great  wrong  done  him, 
while  the  train  halted  at  the  station,  and  supplicated  his 
friend  to  visit  his  wife  and  relations  and  inform  them  of 
his  fate. 

And  here  let  it  be  known  that  immediately  upon  his 
sentence  an  exile  loses  his  identity  —  John  Brown  ceases 
to  be  John  Brown,  and  becomes  "Number  101;"  his 
estate  is  administered  upon  as  though  he  were  dead,  and 
apportioned,  with  the  usual  forfeiture  to  the  state,  among 
his  heirs.     So  that  it  is  almost  impossible  for  any  one, 


256  IN  THE  LENA  DELTA. 

save  the  authorities,  to  trace  out  and  discover  his  where- 
abouts. 

When  Dr.  Buali  had  arrived  at  Irkutsk  he  was  de- 
tained there  for  some  time,  and  meanwhile  his  friend, 
the  merchant,  true  to  his  promise,  had  hastened  to  tell 
the  circumstances  and  conditions  of  his  banishment  to 
the  poor  young  bride ;  who,  quickly  as  she  could,  set  out 
to  join  him  in  exile.  With  womanly  wit  she  managed 
to  apprise  him  by  letter  of  her  coming,  and  a  light  broke 
in  upon  his  grief.  Daily,  hourly,  constantly  he  looked 
and  longed  for  her,  and  just  when  he  knew  she  must 
come,  they  sent  him  on  to  Yakutsk,  and  from  thence  to 
Verkeransk. 

She,  poor  creature,  filled  with  sweet  sympathy  and 
expectation,  hoping  from  his  delay  at  Irkutsk  that  he 
would  be  permanently  detained  there,  arrived  two  days 
too  late.  Picture  her  anguish  —  when,  having  traveled 
with  wifely  devotion  4,000  miles  over  the  worst  country 
in  the  world,  she  learned  the  cruel  news.  Still  2,000 
miles  away  ;  and  even  then  would  she  find  him  !  It  was 
too  much  for  the  poor  heart ;  she  lost  her  reason  ;  raved 
for  a  little  while  in  a  madhouse,  and  died.  He  received 
the  sorrowful  tidings,  so  different  from  what  he  had  ex- 
pected ;  and  when  I  saw  him  he  was  just  recovered  from 
the  effects  of  a  suicidal  attempt  by  poison. 

This  is  the  sad  story  of  one  of  the  friends  whom  I  -met 
at  Verkeransk,  as  told  by  himself  and  interpreted  to  me 
by  Leon.  Dr.  Buali  was  not  a  Nihilist,  or  at  all  intem- 
perate in  his  political  views,  and  consequently  was  not 
held  in  the  highest  favor  by  Leon  and  his  companions. 
He  was  on  pleasant  visiting  terms,  however,  with  the 
espravnick  and  others,  who  liked  him  cordially  for  his 
own  sake ;  yet  he  was  not  permitted  to  practice  his  pro- 
fession for  profit,  but  only  to  perform  the  duties  of  the 
blind  old  incumbent  at  the  post,  from  whom  he  might 
receive  little  or  no  recompense,  just  as  that  worthy  offi- 
cial saw  fit. 


FROM   VERKERANSK  TO   YAKUTSK.  257 

Indeed,  no  exile  is  allowed  to  carry  on  any  business, 
teach  school,  till  the  soil,  labor  at  a  trade,  practice  a  pro- 
fession, or  engage  in  any  work  otherwise  than  through 
the  medium  of  a  master.  If  I  wanted  any  service,  an 
exile  would  sometimes  come  and  offer  to  perform  it,  but 
I  would  have  to  pay  his  master,  upon  whose  bounty  he 
must  depend  for  remuneration.  This  is  a  monstrous 
mistake.  Russia  has  been  striving  in  vain  to  populate 
Siberia  for  a  thousand  years,  and  she  will  never  succeed 
as  long  as  she  continues  in  her  present  policy  of  convert- 
ing the  land  into  a  vast  penitentiary,  wherein  the  pris- 
oners are  prevented  from  making  an  honest  livelihood, 
and  so  driven,  if  criminals,  to  a  further  commission  of 
crime.  Beyond  doubt  there  are  rogues  of  the  very  worst 
type  in  Russia  and  Siberia,  but  certainly  it  is  plain  that 
their  mode  of  punishment  will  never  tend  to  elevate  or 
reform  them ;  and  it  is  utterly  impossible  that  Siberia, 
under  its  present  system  of  government,  should  eve5*  be 
populated  or  improved,  as  have  been  the  penal  colonies  of 
the  French  and  English. 

The  ignorant  Yakuts  are  very  fearful  of  the  whole 
class  of  exiles,  for  they  are  told  exaggerated  stories  of  the 
atrocities  of  the  Nihilists ;  and  the  police  officials  are 
ever  on  their  guard  for  an  outbreak  or  revolt.  I  was 
much  amused  at  Kasharofski,  who  told  me  that  he  lived 
in  constant  terror  lest  some  of  the  exiles  should  assas- 
sinate him.  He  showed  me  a  long  knife  and  a  revol- 
ver, which  always  went  to  bed  with  him,  he  said;  and 
every  night  a  Cossack  slept  in  the  outer  apartment. 
Leon,  too,  assured  me  of  all  this,  saying  that  he  and 
his  comrades  found  a  never-failing  source  of  fun  in  the 
frightening  of  the  police  master,  the  Cossack  guard,  and 
the  trading  merchants,  who  would  sell  them  goods  at 
a  ruinous  discount,  in  order,  as  indeed  they  would  ex- 
plicitly state,  to  curry  their  favor  and  avoid  their  ven- 
geance. 

17 


258  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

"  But,"  said  Leon  and  his  friends.  "  why  should  we 
kill  these  poor  creatures  ?  What  good  would  it  do  ? 
To  be  sure,  if  their  death  might  secure  our  freedom,  we 
would  not  mind  killing  a  thousand  ;  but  such  is  not  the 
case." 

Another  episode  in  the  life  of  the  exiles  at  Verke- 
ransk,  and  I  will  abandon  them  to  their  sorrows.  I  have 
noted  that  the  walls  of  their  miserable  habitation  were 
decorated  with  illustrated  papers  ;  but  in  addition  to 
these  there  were  two  prominent  pictures  :  one  a  photo- 
graph, and  the  other  a  wood-cut  or  print  from  some  jour- 
nal. They  faced  each  other  on  opposite  sides  of  the 
room,  and  I  stood  looking  at  them,  struck  by  their  simi- 
larity ;  for  the  wood-cut  I  recognized  as  a  portrait  of  the 
dead  Czar.  He  lay  in  state  near  a  window,  dressed  in 
his  cerements,  his  hands  holding  a  crucifix  and  resting 
on  his  breast. 

One  of  the  exiles,  Artzibucheff,  observing  my  silent 
comparison  of  the  two  pictures,  approached  and  said  :  — 

"  The  two  men  are  very  much  alike,  are  they  not?" 

They  certainly  were  ;  faces  sharp  and  peaked  in  death, 
hair  and  beards  arranged  the  same  ;  I  thought  both  were 
likenesses  of  the  Czar,  and  said  so.    The  exile  smiled  :  — 

"  No,"  said  he  ;  "  the  photograph  is  one  of  my  brother, 
who  perished  of  cold  and  hunger  in  the  horrible  dun- 
geons of  the  fortress  of  Petropavlosk,  on  the  Neva. .  His 
body  was  photographed  on  his  bier  near  one  of  the  gun- 
ports,  which  has  the  appearance  of  the  palace  window 
wherein  is  laid  out  the  corpse  of  the  Czar.  My  brother 
was  murdered  in  the  fortress  ;  my  friends  murdered  the 
Czar  in  his  palace  ;  '  things  that  are  equal  are  equal  in 
all  their  parts; '  a  dead  Nihilist  and  a  dead  Czar!  " 

He  laughed,  and  added  that  because  of  his  brother's 
death  he  had  been  arrested  and  sent  into  exile ;  that  he 
had  a  sweetheart  to  whom  he  was  affianced,  and  that 
she,  too,  had  been  banished  as  far  as  Archangel ;  but  as 


FROM   VERKERANSK   TO    YAKUTSK.  259 

it  was  no  remittance  of  her  sentence  to  be  transported  to 
Eastern  Siberia,  she  had  been  granted  permission  to  join 
her  lover  at  Verkeransk.  He  was  a  typical  Nihilist,  as 
portrayed  in  our  comic  papers,  with  long,  bushy  black 
hair,  combed  out  until  it  resembled  a  mop-head  ;  dark- 
skinned,  and  fine-cut  in  feature  and  figure,  with  eyes 
and  mind  as  bright  as  the  Dog-star.  He  told  me  gayly 
that  he  expected  his  sweetheart  every  day,  and  that  if  I 
failed  to  see  her  at  Verkeransk,  I  should  certainly  meet 
her  on  the  road.  And  sure  enough,  I  did,  on  the  after- 
noon of  my  departure.  She  was  young  and  attractive, 
of  medium  height  and  excellent  form  ;  her  eyes  and  hair 
were  light,  her  nose  slightly  retrousse,  and  her  mouth  as 
pretty,  pouting,  and  cherry-red  as  one  would  care  to  see. 
She  had  with  her  a  number  of  French  books,  of  which, 
she  said,  she  intended  to  make  translations.  She  spoke 
French  and  German  fluently,  but  knew  very  little  Eng- 
lish ;  and  at  this  time  I  only  saw  her  for  a  few  minutes, 
but  met  her  afterwards  when  going  north  and  returning 
from  my  second  search. 

On  the  evening  of  December  15th,  Bartlett  and  party 
arrived  safely  from  Belun,  and  I  instantly  set  about  mak- 
ing the  necessary  arrangements  for  their  transportation 
to  Yakutsk.  They  were  capitally  quartered  at  the  resi- 
dence of  the  Cossack  commandant,  where  they  had  plenty 
of  good  food  and  enough  vodki  to  make  them  merry. 
Before  their  arrival  I  had  a  sufficient  supply  of  bread 
baked,  and  beef  killed,  cut  up  into  proper  sizes,  and 
frozen  for  their  journey.  I  was  now  suffering  from  a 
severe  cold,  the  first  I  had  caught  since  leaving  the 
United  States,  and  it  occurred  in  the  following  way. 

Upon  my  reaching  the  house  of  the  espravnick,  he 
doubtless  suspected  my  cleanliness,  as  well,  indeed,  he 
might,  for  I  had  suspicions  in  the  same  direction  myself ; 
so,  when  he  proposed  a  bath,  I  gladly  consented.  He 
then  ordered  a  Cossack  to  prepare  the  bath,  and  brought 


260  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

forth  some  clean  under-clothing  and  a  suit  of  gray  cloth 
for  me. 

"  You  are  acquainted  with  the  bath  ?  "  he  inquired. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  I,  for  I  could  not  think  of  any  intri- 
cacies in  the  operation  which  might  not  be  learned  at  a 
glance. 

So,  headed  by  the  Cossack,  who  carried  my  clothing, 
towels,  etc.,  I  set  out  for  the  bath-house,  which  was 
located  about  one  hundred  yards  from  the  main  dwelling. 
I  found  it  to  be  a  square  box  of  a  building,  perhaps  eight 
by  ten  feet,  and  seven  feet  high  ;  the  door  was  covered 
with  an  ox-hide  and  felted,  to  keep  out  the  cold  ;  the 
floor  was  earthen  ;  and  in  a  corner  stood  the  stone-fur- 
nace and  chimney.  The  furniture  of  the  room  was  com- 
posed of  one  stool  and  a  small  table  ;  two  large  tubs 
filled  with  water,  one  hot  and  the  other  cold,  with  cakes 
of  ice  floating  in  it ;  two  shelves,  one  about  two  feet 
from  the  ground,  the  other  about  five  feet,  and  both 
broad  enough  for  the  bather  to  lie  out  upon  ;  several 
small  wooden  vessels  ;  an  iron  dipper  ;  and  then,  beside 
my  under-clothing  and  towels,  a  couple  of  sheets  intended 
for  wrappers.  I  noticed  a  large  hole  in  the  side  of  the 
furnace  from  which  the  flames  and  gases  were  rushing 
into  the  room,  for  a  board  had  been  placed  on  top  of  the 
chimney  as  a  damper. 

And  now  the  Cossack  told  me  to  undress.  I  did  so. 
He  next  filled  the  dipper  with  water,  and  asked  me  if  I 
was  ready  ;•  I  said,  "  Yes,"  and  he  then  cast  the  water 
through  the  aperture  into  the  glowing  furnace.  Instantly 
a  thick  volume  of  steam  burst  forth,  and  the  Cossack, 
looking  at  me  a  moment,  said,  "More?"  I  assented, 
and  he  threw  in  another  dipperful,  whereupon  the  upper 
part  of  the  building  filled  with  steam.  He  glanced  at 
me  askance,  and  asked  again  —  "  More  ?  " 

"  Yes,  yes,"  said  I,  impatiently  ;  "  heave  it  in,  ma- 
noiLra !  " 


FROM  VERKERANSK   TO    YAKUTSK.  261 

Quick  as  thought  he  clashed  two  or  three  dipperfuls  of 
water  into  the  furnace,  and  then,  dodging  his  head,  bolted 
out  of  doors  as  though  he  had  hurled  a  keg  of  powder 
into  the  fire. 

Two  candles  were  burning  in  the  room,  —  one  on  the 
table,  the  other  on  the  upper  shelf.  This  latter  was  ex- 
tinguished in  an  instant.  I  relighted  it  at  the  other,  and, 
apprehending  my  plight,  set  them  both  on  the  floor, 
where  they  burned  with  a  blue  light.  Meanwhile  the 
scalding  hot  steam  was  lowering  nearer  and  nearer  to  my 
head.  I  crouched  down,  but  it  followed  me.  The  can- 
dles flickered,  and  were  going  out ;  evidently  I  could  not 
stay  in  the  dark  and  be  smothered  or  scalded  to  death. 
So,  without  thinking  of  the  sheets,  I  threw  myself  against 
the  low  door  and  shot  forth  into  the  open  air  and  snow, 
the  dense  steam,  literally  in  hot  pursuit,  pouring  out 
after  me. 

The  Cossack  had  fled  in  dismay  to  the  house  ;  and 
there  I  stood  abiding  the  exit  of  the  steam,  in  nothing 
but  my  skin,  dancing  up  and  down  in  a  temperature  of 
about  sixty  degrees  below  zero.  It  was  not  long,  how- 
ever, before  I  could  see  a  current  of  cold  air  rushing  in 
beneath  my  inflamed  enemy,  and  I  crept  back  in  its 
wake,  and,  when  things  were  cooled  off,  closed  the  door 
and  leisurely  bathed  in  one  of  the  tubs,  tempering  the 
water  to  suit  myself.  When  I  at  length  found  my  way 
back  to  the  house,  and  told  Kasharofski  of  my  escapade, 
he  said  the  Cossack  was  under  the  impression  I  had  de- 
liberately boiled  myself ;  and,  indeed,  I  was  so  badly 
affected  that  Bartlett's  first  exclamation  upon  meeting 
me  was,  "  Why,  what  have  they  been  doing  to  you  ?  " 

Perhaps  it  was  the  change  of  clothing,  but  at  any  rate 
the  cold  clung  to  me  until  I  again  began  living  in  the 
open  air,  and  slept  once  more  on  top  of  a  sled. 

The  time  of  my  departure  from  Verkeransk  was  set 
for  the  morning  of  December  18th,  but  the  espravnick 


262  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

had  a  large  mail  to  send,  and,  of  course,  postponed  pre- 
paring it  until  just  before  I  was  ready  to  start,  so  it  was 
midnight  when  we  at  length  set  out.  Before  leaving, 
Kasharofski  told  me  that  he  had  received  information 
from  the  Kolyma  River  that  nothing  had  been  heard  of 
the  second  cutter  or  her  people  ;  for  as  soon  as  my  tel- 
egram had  passed  through  his  hands  he  had  sent  word 
to  the  espravnick  of  the  Kolyma  at  Kolymsk  to  keep  a 
bright  lookout  for  any  stranger  that  might  turn  up  on 
the  coast. 

My  journey  to  Yakutsk,  although  made  for  the  most 
part  by  reindeer,  was  not  so  rapid  as  that  between  Belun 
and  Verkeransk.  Yet  in  winter  this  trip  is  one  of  won- 
drous beauty  :  cold,  forsooth,  but  the  deep  dark  woods, 
with  their  little  glimpses  of  sky  ;  the  dashing  along  under 
the  low-i'eaehing  arms  of  the  evergreen  trees,  league 
after  league  of  forest  bowed  down  to  the  very  earth,  and, 
in  places,  prostrated  with  its  white  weight  of  snow  ;  the 
weird  ride  over  hill  and  mountain,  skirting  ravine  and 
precipice ;  the  breaks  along  and  across  the  numerous 
water-courses,  over  rude  bridges,  or  along  deep  gullies 
where  rough  wooden  guards  preserved  the  teams  from 
disaster,  —  with  this  quick  succession  of  scenery  wild  and 
strange  was  I  kept  constantly  awake  and  charmed. 

At  the  stanclas  we  met  the  traveling  merchants  with 
their  long  trains  of  goods,  hauled  by  reindeer  or  packed 
on  the  backs  of  horses.  Five  pood  is  the  regulation 
load,  and  all  packages  are  put  up  in  drums,  bound  with 
raw-hide,  and  so  strapped  that  they  can  easily  be  trans- 
ported by  the  pack-horse,  which  carries  a  half  load  on 
either  side  of  a  saddle-tree  prepared  for  the  purpose. 
Many  of  the  merchants  employ  horses  and  reindeer  the 
whole  year  round  for  the  transportation  of  their  goods. 
The  stancias  are  let  by  the  government  to  agents,  who 
sublet  them  to  the  Yakuts  or  other  bidders,  who,  in  turn, 
keep  them  in  repair  and  transport  passengers  and  freight 


FROM   VERKERANSK   TO   YAKUTSK.  263 

at  the  rate  of  three  copecks  per  verst  for  a  passenger, 
and  three  copecks  per  verst  for  each  five  pood  of  freight. 
Of  course  there  is  an  endless  wrangle  going  on  between 
the  station  -  keeper  and  the  traveler  or  merchant.  At 
times  we  would  encounter  a  great  train  of  pack-horses 
hitched  to  each  other's  tail,  with  a  conductor  riding 
alongside  or  in  front,  and  another  horseman  in  the  rear 
to  look  after  any  stray  animals  or  lost  merchandise. 

In  this  section  of  Siberia  there  are  a  great  many 
draught-horses  and  cattle,  which  latter  are  housed  dur- 
ing the  winter  months,  and  generally  under  the  same 
roof  with  their  owners  —  often  in  the  same  apartments. 
The  horses,  however,  I  noticed,  were  not  stabled  even  in 
the  severest  weather ;  excepting,  of  course,  those  of  the 
rich,  which  are  only  used  for  carriages  or  sleighs.  The 
poor  animals  are  compelled  to  dig  down  through  the  deep 
snow  in  search  of  grass  or  any  herbage,  like  the  reindeer 
after  their  moss.  The  grasses  though  coarse  are  sweet 
and  nourishing,  for  the  short  hot  summer  has  scarcely 
brought  them  into  life,  when  winter  comes  quickly  on, 
freezing  and  preserving  their  nutritious  juices ;  yet  the 
Siberian  horse,  like  the  Spanish  mule,  does  not  limit  his 
diet  to  grass  alone,  but  can  apparently  eat  hickory  hoop- 
poles.  As  he  stumbles  and  staggers  along  under  heavy 
loads,  I  have  seen  him  crop  the  twigs  and  branches  of 
the  birch,  yew,  and  scrub  pine.  The  stancia  horses,  in- 
deed, receive  better  treatment,  for  they  are  fed  on  hay, 
cut  and  cured  during  the  summer;  but  north  of  Yakutsk 
it  is  very  rare  that  a  horse  receives  any  attention  or  shel- 
ter. They  are  to  be  seen  as  far  as  Verkeransk,  and  many 
wild  horses  roam  the  snowy  plains ;  yet  of  these  I  saw 
but  few.  The  horse-driver  carries  a  wooden  sword,  in 
one  edge  of  which  is  inserted  a  roughly-toothed  saw,  and 
with  this  he  scrapes  off  the  rime  and  snow  from  the 
horses  when  they  halt  to  rest  or  arrive  at  a  stancia. 

We  traveled  the  first  part  of  our  journey,  as  far  as 


264  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

Kangerack  station,  by  deer-teams.  In  crossing  one  of 
the  tributaries  of  the  Jana  River,  which  scatters  itself 
into  a  series  of  ponds  and  lakes,  we  suddenly  found  our- 
selves in  a  queer  predicament ;  for  although  the  temper- 
ature was  down  to  minus  40°  Reaumur,  still  there  were 
from  ten  to  fifteen  inches  of  water  on  the  bed  of  the 
river ;  and,  ere  we  could  grasp  the  situation,  the  yamshicks 
had  driven  directly  into  it.  The  ice  beneath  us  was  very 
slippery,  so  the  deer  were  unable  to  keep  on  their  feet, 
and  floundered  hopelessly  around  in  the  water,  which  had 
here  spread  itself  over  several  miles  of  ice.  The  deer 
attached  to  the  sled  of  Penavitch  fell  down,  and  the 
drivers,  who  had  dismounted  and  were  splashing  about 
in  water  over  their  boot  tops,  carried  my  big  friend  to 
the  bank,  where  he  had  a  lonely  walk  of  a  mile  or  two  to 
perform.  Meanwhile,  the  natives  managed,  after  consid- 
erable difficulty,  to  get  and  maintain  the  prostrate  deer 
in  an  upright  position  ;  and  my  yamshick  succeeded,  by 
wading  and  leading  our  two  teams,  which  had  not  en- 
tirely lost  their  equilibrium,  in  reaching  and  scaling  the 
steep  bank.  This  flooding  of  the  ice,  which  the  Yakuts 
consider  very  dangerous,  is  caused  by  the  hydraulic  pres- 
sure up  stream,  which  raises  the  ice-bed  and  finally  bursts 
it  open  ;  and  the  water  continues  to  overflow  until  the 
pressure  is  relieved,  when  it  freezes  in  again. 

But  here  we  were  at  midnight,  thirty  versts  from  a 
stancia  or  povarnia,  with  the  temperature  so  low  that  I 
shiver  to  think  of  it.  Luckily  the  Yakuts  knew  of  a  hut 
in  the  woods,  and  thither  we  went,  where  they  built  a 
fire  and  dried  their  boots  and  clothing ;  and  Penavitch 
won  their  best  regards  by  giving  each  a  drink  of  vodki. 
At  daylight  we  were  off  again,  threading  our  way  around 
the  flooded  ice;  and  Penavitch,  who,  I  noticed,  as  well  as 
the  yamshicks,  had  been  very  much  excited,  took  occasion 
to  tell  me  that  these  overflows  are  very  dangerous  ;  that 
they  sometimes  occur  with  so  much  force  that  travelers 


FROM   VERKERANSK   TO   YAKUTSK.  265 

are  drowned ;  and  whole  teams,  deer,  drivers,  and  passen- 
gers, have  been  found  frozen  to  death,  where  the  waters 
suddenly  rushed  upon  and  soaked  them. 

It  was  dark  on  the  24th  day  of  December  when  we  ar- 
rived at  the  Kangerack  stancia.  Here  we  met  a  fine,  fat 
copert  just  from  Yakutsk,  who  knew  my  traveling  com- 
panion, and  was  full  of  good  nature  and  other  good 
things ;  and  the  enthusiastic  fellow  expended  his  time 
and  treasure  in  giving  a  swell  dinner  to  the  first  Amer- 
ican he  had  ever  seen.  We  were  obliged  to  rest  here,  as 
it  is  the  last  deer-station  on  the  road  toward  Yakutsk, 
and  is  located  at  the  mountain  divide  between  the  dis- 
tricts of  Verkeransk  and  Yakutsk.  Next  day,  however, 
we  got  under  way  about  ten  P.  M.,  and  traveled  all  night, 
crossing  the  divide  about  twelve  o'clock. 

It  was  severely  cold  —  ah  !  ferociously  so,  from  minus 
40°-45  Reaumur  ;  but  the  soft,  clear  moonlight  was  gor- 
geous and  glorious.  We  were  about  4,500  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea ;  the  mountains  were  grandly  wild  ;  and, 
stripped  for  the  purpose,  we  toiled  up  their  steep  ascent 
on  foot,  with  the  teams  plodding  slowly  on  in  front. 
Above  us  on  either  side,  the  gigantic  peaks  lifted  their 
hoary  heads  far  into  the  blue  vault  of  heaven ;  silent, 
frigid,  and  white.  Ah  !  what  grandeur !  I  rejoiced  that 
it  was  night,  and  so  cold  and  still;  for  they  filled  me  with 
an  awe,  those  snowy  summits  bathed  in  the  silver  radi- 
ance of  an  Arctic  moon,  such  as  I  had  never  known  be- 
fore. And  though  I  twice  recrossed  the  divide,  yet  the 
spell  was  not  upon  me  as  on  that  wonderful  night,  and 
the  splendor  I  then  saw  can  never  depart  my  memory. 

Arrived  at  the  summit  of  the  gorge,  we  halted  for  a 
while,  and  then  the  four  sleds  were  lashed  together,  two 
abreast,  with  a  driver  sitting  on  each  bow,  and  the  rein- 
deer hitched  behind.  When  everything  was  ready,  the 
natives  worked  the  sleds  to  the  edge  of  the  divide,  and 
over  they  flashed.    I  expected  to  see  them  roll  in  a  heap ; 


266  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

but  no ;  they  steered  with  their  feet,  while  the  deer  held 
back,  and  kept  safely  on  for  about  one  hundred  yards, 
when  they  stopped  in  the  deep  snow,  until  the  frightened 
animals  had  quieted  down  ;  and  then  sped  on  again  for  a 
mile  and  a  half.  The  incline  was  so  steep  that  it  was 
with  difficulty  I  could  stand  upon  it;  consequently,  I  sat 
down,  with  a  stick  in  my  hand,  and  at  once  shot  off  like 
a  sky-rocket.  In  vain  I  tried  to  control  my  speed  by 
jabbing  the  staff  in  the  snow  between  my  legs,  but  it 
only  slewed  my  body  around,  the  heavy  part  taking  the 
advance  like  the  ball  of  a  shuttle-cock,  and  away  I  went, 
sliding,  tumbling,  and  rolling,  until  I  at  length  brought 
up  near  the  sleds,  considerably  confused  at  my  rapid  de- 
scent. And  I  had  rather  a  chilly  time  of  it,  stripping  in 
the  open  air  to  rid  my  clothing  of  its  burden  of  snow, 
which,  to  say  the  least,  was  very  unpleasant  next  my 
flesh  ;  not  to  dwell  upon  the  peculiar  sensation  produced 
by  a  pool  of  cold  snow-water  in  the  convex  section  of  my 
trousers. 

Towards  daylight  we  came  upon  a  band  of  wandering 
Tunguses,  who  were  camped  in  a  ravine  under  a  ragged 
tent  made  of  birch-bark  and  reindeer-skins.  The  lower 
part,  for  a  height  of  about  three  feet,  was  carried  up  ver- 
tically as  a  cylinder,  and  then  the  skins  were  stretched 
around  poles  wThich  inclined  to  a  tapering  cone.  The  in- 
mates were  very  miserable  ;  two  or  three  women  and  a 
litter  of  children,  covered  with  tattered  furs,  lay  around 
the  floor,  and  a  sickly  fire  smouldered  in  the  centre  of 
the  tent.  At  this  we  prepared  our  tea,  and  the  women 
brought  forth  their  kettle  to  brew  our  leaves  over  for 
themselves.  Soon  we  were  on  again,  and  next  halted  at 
a  povarnia,  to  find  a  poor  woman  who  had  just  given 
birth  to  a  little  Yakut.  Our  drivers  built  a  fire,  warming 
up  the  hut,  and  we  made  tea  and  gave  her  some.  She 
seemed  happy  and  healthy,  and  had  her  baby  stowed 
away  in  a  wooden  bowl. 


FROM  VERKERANSK   TO    YAKUTSK.  267 

The  Yakuts  were  becoming  more  squalid  and  filthy  as 
we  journeyed  south  from  the  ocean  ;  those  living  closest 
to  Yakutsk  being  the  most  disgusting  in  their  appear- 
ance and  habits,  and  apparently  devoid  of  any  moral 
sense.  They  all  live  under  the  same  roof  with  their 
cows,  some,  however,  with  a  partition  of  bars  between 
their  apartment  and  the  cattle  stalls.  A  wealth  of  pa- 
tience is  here  required  to  cope  with  the  exasperating  lazi- 
ness of  the  yamshicks.  When  the  team  is  hitched  and 
the  traveler  is  about  stepping  into  the  sleigh,  his  driver 
drawls,  —  "  Just  one  minute  ;  I  have  not  smoked  ; " 
which  usually  means  he  has  not  dined,  or  drnnk  his  tea, 
or  smoked  his  pipe,  or  teaed  again,  until  he  has  pro- 
tracted the  delay  to  an  hour  or  two.  I  could  not  hurry 
them  up,  try  as  I  would.  If  necessary,  they  stole  away 
to  a  neighbor's  and  drank  tea,  and  then  more  tea,  while  I 
vainly  scoured  the  woods  and  ransacked  the  stables  in 
search  of  them. 

At  one  place  where  we  stopped  for  several  hours,  the 
natives  had  a  dead  horse  in  the  hut,  where,  I  think,  he 
had  died.  The  carcass  was  intact,  save  where  they  had 
partly  turned  back  the  skin  from  the  stomach  to  the 
hock-joints  of  the  hind  legs,  and  had  cut  and  eaten  the 
flesh  from  the  haunches.  The  animal  was  not  even  dis- 
emboweled, and  the  stench  which  arose  from  it  was  so 
intolerable  that  I  crawled  into  my  sleeping-bag  and  lay 
on  top  of  the  sled,  in  preference  to  staying  in  the  hut, 
while  we  waited  for  a  relay  of  horses.  But  the  natives 
sliced  off  the  meat  and  cooked  it  without  wincing  at  the 
sickening  sight  and  odor.  And  yet  there  is  a  large  quan- 
tity of  beef  raised  for  the  Yakutsk  markets  and  the  gold 
mines  to  the  southward,  though,  it  is  true,  the  natives, 
when  they  have  paid  their  taxes,  have  little  left  of  any- 
thing, and  the  tax-gatherer  in  Siberia  is  inexorable. 

Nearly  all  first-class  huts  are  furnished  with  primitive 
grist  -  mills,  in  which  the  natives  grind  a  few  grains  of 


268  IN   THE  LENA  DELTA. 

rye  at  a  time,  and  bake  the  meal  on  the  end  of  a  stick  or 
stir  it  into  the  hot  milk.  These  mills  are  made  of  two 
blocks  of  wood  cut  from  a  poplar  or  other  large  tree 
trunk.  One  section  or  block  is  set  up  on  three  legs,  with 
a  pin  in  the  centre  to  receive  the  upper  and  revolving 
millstone.  Around  the  periphery  of  the  nether  block 
runs  a  bull's-hide  shield,  which  catches  the  meal  as  it  is 
ground,  and  delivers  it  at  an  inclination  or  dip  into  a  re- 
ceptacle placed  on  the  floor.  In  the  top  stone  is  inserted 
an  upright  handle  for  one  or  two  persons  to  turn;  and  oc- 
casionally a  hole  is  bored  which  receives  a  staff  suspended 
from  the  ceiling,  and  two  women  sitting  opposite  to  each 
other  twist  this  around,  one  of  them  from  time  to  time 
dropping  a  pinch  of  grain  into  the  orifice  of  the  top  block. 
I  was  at  first  a  little  surprised  at  the  capital  manner  in 
which  these  rude  machines  performed  their  work ;  but 
upon  lifting  off  the  upper  half  I  found  that  the  wily 
Yakut  had  set  at  a  proper  depth  small  cubes  of  flint 
stone  into  the  faces  of  both  blocks.  The  meal  is  coarse 
and  unbolted ;  but  then  the  husks  go  to  fill  the  abhorred 
vacuum,  which  at  the  Delta  in  times  of  famine  I  have 
seen  filled  with  wood.  When  the  grist  is  ground  it  is 
kneaded  upon  a  stick,  usually  in  the  shape  of  a  large  cu- 
cumber, and  stuck  in  the  ashes  and  slowly  turned  before 
the  fire ;  though,  at  times,  it  is  kneaded  in  the  shape  of 
a  fan,  or  baked  on  a  board  set  up  at  an  angle  in  front  of 
the  fire. 

Truly  the  Yakuts  lead  a  wretched  existence,  and  the 
Yakut  women  especially.  They  all  beg,  lie,  and  steal; 
are  ragged,  diseased,  and  unclean.  As  we  approached 
Yakutsk  I  noticed  that  the  number  of  blind  old  men  and 
women  did  not  decrease,  and  that  the  mode  of  ablution 
by  squirting  water  into  the  hands  and  then  applying  it 
to  the  face,  thus  transmitting  the  syphilitic  virus  or 
lymph  from  the  mouth  to  the  eyes,  was  common  to  all. 
In   these  miserable  huts  I  found,  now  and  then,  one  or 


FROM   VERKERANSK  TO   YAKUTSK.  269 

more  exiles,  political  or  criminal,  quartered  upon  the 
natives.  Among  the  exiles,  too,  there  were  many  Jews, 
known  to  both  Yakut  and  Russian  as  Judes  ;  who,  true 
to  their  instinct,  were  all  strenuously  striving,  though 
poor  as  church  mice,  to  do  a  little  trade. 

The  exiles  !  A  witching  theme,  and  one  upon  which, 
with  space  and  leisure  at  my  command,  I  could  love  to 
dilate  ;  for  I  saw  and  heard  so  much  of  them  that  I  am 
sure  would  interest  the  reader.  Fancy  a  poet  and  litte- 
rateur, one  of  those  rare  Russian  souls  whose  wonder- 
working effusions  must  ultimately  enlighten  and  enfran- 
chise the  people  —  a  Turgenieff  —  immured  for  life  in 
this  snowy  desert.  Yet  there  was  such  a  one,  and  even 
the  savagery  of  his  surroundings  could  not  dispirit  him 
or  cool  the  ardor  of  his  genius.  From  his  prolific  pen 
flowed  a  ceaseless  stream  of  learning  and  of  light ;  he 
wrote  and  wrote,  and  in  the  writing  forgot  his  wrongs 
and  sorrows.  The  authorities  were  overjoyed  to  see  him 
in  this  mood ;  they  fostered  his  rich  whim,  for  his  fame 
had  gone  before  him,  and  they  established  him  in  better 
quarters  where  he  might  lay  his  golden  eggs  for  them  to 
seize  and  sell,  and  they  gave  him  servants,  who  might 
watch  and  see  that  none  of  the  eggs  were  lost ;  and  even 
the  bishop  of  the  diocese  could  find  it  in  his  heart  to  ap- 
propriate and  make  capital  of  the  learned  exile's  transla- 
tion of  the  Bible. 

But  soon  he  saw  all  this,  and  came  to  realize  how 
precious  he  had  grown  in  the  eyes  of  his  captors,  and  so 
he  shrewdly  sought  to  use  his  talents  for  his  own  advan- 
tage. A  Cossack,  who  bore  a  marked  resemblance  to 
him,  —  his  double,  —  was  diligently  searched  for  and 
finally  found  in  the  empire.  To  secure  his  services  ;  to 
transport  him  to  Siberia  ;  to  train  and  cut  his  beard,  edu- 
cate his  manner  and  accent,  and,  in  fine,  model  his  per- 
son upon  the  exile's  until,  in  appearance,  they  were  one 
and  the  same,  and  the  deception  was  all  but  perfect ;  — » 


270  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

to  accomplish  this  the  exile  labored  with  superhuman 
powers,  and  the  fecundity  of  his  brain  increased  under 
the  stimulating,  the  intoxicating  hope  of  freedom,  —  one 
blessed  hour  of  which  is  said  to  be  worth  a  whole  eter- 
nity of  bondage.  And  at  last  the  glorious  day  arrived 
when,  leaving  his  well-trained  double  to  act  his  part  and 
cover  his  escape,  the  joyous  exile,  his  liberty  achieved, 
set  forth  upon  his  hazardous  journey,  —  a  journey  which 
he  never  ended ;  for,  alas  !  the  fickleness  of  fortune  and 
of  friends  as  well !  there  came  a  slip  in  his  plans,  a  cog 
was  missing,  his  hopes  were  dashed  to  the  ground,  —  he 
was  apprehended,  and  buried  alive  again,  this  time  be- 
yond the  possibility  of  resurrection. 

The  best  clad  and  happiest  of  all  the  exiles  whom 
I  saw  in  Siberia  were  those  known  as  the  "  Scaups." 
They  are  a  religious  sect,  whose  doctrines  of  late  years 
have  widely  spread  throughout  the  empire,  and  whose 
votaries  seem  to  defy  the  efforts  of  the  Russian  govern- 
ment to  crush  them  out.  A  peculiarity  of  the  sect  is  that 
it  can  only  acquire  new  members  by  recruital,  since  both 
sexes  so  mutilate  their  persons  that  they  can  neither  be- 
get nor  bear  children.  They  do  not  live  apart,  however, 
except  in  the  manner  of  the  American  Shakers,  with 
which  people  they  seem  very  well  acquainted,  and  de- 
nominate them  as  the  "  Wet,"  and  themselves  as  the 
"  Dry  Scaups."  They  study  all  the  economies  of  nature, 
and  neither  drink  spirits  nor  eat  flesh  ;  they  live  in  com- 
munities uuder  the  police,  are  invariably  farmers  when 
permitted  to  be,  and,  like  the  Shakers,  send  every  vari- 
ety of  produce  to  the  markets.  Somehow  or  other,  the 
women  seldom  leave  the  communities,  and  the  men  can- 
not ;  though  I  saw  one  woman  who  had  apostatized,  and 
borne  a  child  to  her  new  spouse;  but  owing  to  the  mu- 
tilation of  her  mamraillary  glands,  she  was  unable  to 
suckle  her  babe. 

The  men,  of  whom  I  saw  very  many  along  the  banks 


FROM   VERKERANSK   TO    YAKUTSK.  271 

of  the  Upper  Lena,  were  all  large,  fat,  bloated  fellows, 
devoid  of  color  or  very  sallow,  and  beardless  as  a  rule, 
for  the  beards  of  those  who  might  manage  to  grow  any 
would  slowly  fall  out.  I  found  them  for  the  most  part 
intelligent,  but  not  at  all  bright;  they  were  stolid  and 
flabby  like  stalled  oxen.  In  conversation  with  a  group 
of  them  who  came  on  market-day  to  dine  at  our  hotel  at 
Yakutsk,  I  was  asked  if  we  had  none  of  their  sect  in  the 
United  States.  No,  I  told  them,  but  we  had  in  Utah 
their  antithesis,  the  Mormons.  They  apparently  saw  no 
joke  in  my  allusion,  and  said,  "  Yes,  they  had  heard  of 
the  polygamists,  and  thought  they  were  very  sinful." 
Yet  they  seemed  to  be  the  only  rich  and  prosperous  peo- 
ple in  the  vicinity  of  Yakutsk,  for  they  are  sober,  frugal, 
and  industrious,  and  General  Tschernaieff  informed  me 
that  previous  to  their  advent  every  pound  of  flour  used 
in  Yakutsk  was  imported  from  the  southern  provinces, 
while  now  they  are  exporting  grain,  meal,  beef,  butter, 
and  vegetables.  The  general  believed  that  the  one  ob- 
ject of  the  Scaups  was  to  accumulate  an  abundance  of 
this  worlds  goods,  and  that  their  religion  was  merely  a 
means  of  shirking  the  responsibility  of  raising  families  ; 
and  so  it  certainly  seemed ;  but  I  presume  the  main- 
spring of  their  prosperity  is  no  other  than  their  total  ab- 
stinence from  intoxicating  drink,  which  is  a  clog  and  a 
curse  not  only  to  Russia  but  to  all  the  world  beside.  I 
had  many  dealings  with  the  Scaups,  and  found  them  uni- 
formly upright  and  honest:  something  which  I  cannot 
say  of  any  other  people  I  met  in  Siberia,  except  General 
Tschernaieff,  Epatchieff,  the  assistant  espravnick  of  Ver- 
keransk,  and  Carpuff,  the  lieutenant  of  police. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

AT  YAKUTSK. 

The  "  Balogan  Araericanski."  —  General  Tschernaieff. — How  He 
received  me.  —  Mr.  Danenhower  and  Party  set  out  for  America. 
—  Instructions  from  the  Department.  —  Praesnik.  —  Preparations 
for  my  Second  Seai'ch.  — Yakutsk  Society.  —  New  Year's  Eve. — 
Nova  Goat.  —  The  Bishop  receives.  —  Masquerading.  —  Bulky 
Money. 

I  arrived  at  Yakutsk  about  an  hour  after  noon  of 
December  30tb,  1881,  the  journey  of  960  versts  having 
consumed  twelve  days,  or  more  than  double  the  time  re- 
quired in  going  from  Belun  to  Verkeransk.  The  last 
two  hundred  and  fifty  or  three  hundred  versts  had  been 
especially  tedious,  and  the  Yakuts,  living  in  their  cow- 
stables,  incredibly  disgusting.  The  stancias  were  close 
together,  not  more  than  twenty  or  thirty  versts  apart ; 
and  we  passed  through  several  deserted  villages  of  from 
twenty  to  thirty  yaurtas.  I  asked  Penavitch  why  they 
were  deserted,  and  he  said  the  inhabitants  had  all  died 
of  small-pox. 

I  was  driven  direct  to  the  Balogan  Americanski,  where 
Mr.  Danenhower  and  the  sailors  were  lodged.  The  bal- 
ogan was  a  government  house,  for  the  use  of  which  I 
paid  a  small  weekly  sum,  and  was  located  across  the  way 
from  the  Guestnitsa  Hotel,  kept  by  Madame  Lempert, 
who  fed  the  party  at  the  daily  rate  of  one  rouble  apiece. 
I  found  all  the  men  enjoying  themselves  greatly,  dressed 
in  tight -fitting  boots,  white  shirts,  and  choker  collars. 
They  seemed  comfortable  and  happy,  and  were  already 
on  visiting  terms  with  the  inhabitants.     Many,  too,  had 


AT  YAKUTSK.  273 

sweethearts,  and,  I  fear,  had  they  stayed  much  longer 
some  would  have  had  wives.  Poor  Jack  Cole,  I  was 
grieved  to  see,  had  lost  his  mind  entirely,  but  he  was  in 
the  best  of  spirits,  and  told  me  that  he  had  a  body-ser- 
vant now,  and  intended  to  marry  Queen  Victoria. 

I  learned  from  Mr.  Danenhower  that  when  they 
reached  Yakutsk,  they  were  first  driven,  as  is  customary 
upon  the  arrival  of  strangers,  to  the  police  station ;  but 
he  informed  the  police  master  who  he  was,  and  demanded 
an  audience  of  General  Tschernaieff,  which  was  granted 
at  once ;  Dr.  Capello,  the  district  physician  and  inspector 
of  hospitals,  acting  as  interpreter.  The  general  received 
him  cordially,  provided  him  with  everything  he  wished, 
or  that  the  place  could  afford ;  quartered  the  men  at 
the  government  house,  and  placed  them  to  board  with 
Madame  Lempert,  beside  loaning  money  from  his  pri- 
vate purse  for  the  use  of  the  party.  He  had  also  in- 
sisted that  Mi".  Danenhower  should  dine  with  him  every 
afternoon  at  two  o'clock ;  and  as  I  had  arrived  at  one 
P.  M.,  I  promptly  prepared  to  pay  my  respects  to  the 
general.  His  sleigh  came  as  usual  for  Mr.  Danenhower, 
and  together  we  repaired  in  it  to  the  gubernatorial  man- 
sion, which,  compared  with  the  balance  of  dwellings  in 
Yakutsk,  is  a  house  of  imposing  dimensions  ;  built,  like 
all  others,  of  wood,  part  square  and  part  round  timber; 
and  located  at  the  corner  of  a  street,  surrounded  by  a 
fenced  inclosure  containing  stables,  servants'  houses,  and 
other  buildings. 

The  general  is  a  bachelor,  sixty-two  years  of  age, — 
twenty-one  years  of  which  he  has  spent  in  Siberia.  He 
is  two  inches  taller  than  six  feet,  straight  as  a  spear-shaft, 
and  rather  spare ;  with  full  flowing  white  hair  and  beard, 
large  aquiline  nose,  handsome  face  and  carriage,  a  very 
soldierly  air  and  bearing ;  and  he  was  always  dressed  in 
uniform  which  fitted  him  neatly.  His  reception  of  me 
could  not  have  been  warmer  had  I  been  his  own  son. 

18 


274  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

Hearing  the  door  open,  he  came  out  of  his  cabinet  across 
the  dining  apartment  into  the  reception  room  to  welcome 
Danenhower,  when,  seeing  me  clothed  in  skins,  and  my 
face  frost-scorched,  he  gazed  for  an  instant  in  surprise, 
and  then,  before  Danenhower  could  introduce  us,  had 
caught  me  closely  in  his  arms  and  kissed  me  on  both 
cheeks.  He  called  me  his  brat  (son),  and  with  tears  roll- 
ing from  his  eyes  he  pressed  me  to  his  breast  again  and 
again.  So  apologies  for  my  appearance  were  not  neces- 
sary ;  he  was  a  soldier,  and  appreciated  the  exigencies  of 
the  service,  and,  consequently,  of  the  occasion.  He  and 
Dr.  Capello  had  been  old  campaigners  together,  and  were 
still  constant  companions ;  and  the  doctor,  who  spoke 
French  fluently,  now  interpreted  between  Danenhower 
and  the  general. 

We  ate  a  capital  dinner  of  soup,  fish,  beef,  and  game, 
Yakutsk  potatoes,  and  a  variety  of  canned  vegetables, 
all  washed  down  with  the  wines  of  the  country,  vodki, 
claret,  madeira,  and  the  quass,1  a  favorite  beverage  with 
Dr.  Capello.  We  finished  with  a  bottle  of  champagne, 
and  after  several  hours  of  conversation,  my  first  reception 
by  the  governor  was  over ;  yet  before  leaving  he  exacted 
a  promise  that  I  should  dine  with  him  daily  during  my 
stay  in  Yakutsk. 

The  following  day  he  returned  my  call,  and  for  the 
balance  of  the  week  I  could  scarcely  do  aught  but  receive 
and  return  visits.  Yet  immediately  upon  my  arrival  I 
began  to  arrange  for  the  departure  of  Mr.  Danenhower 

1  Subjoined  is  a  translation  of  the  quass  recipe  as  written  out  in 
French  by  Dr.  Capello  :  — 

To  make  fifteen  bottles  of  quass  one  must  take  twenty  bottles  of 
boiling  water,  six  pounds  of  black  rye  bread,  and  one  ounce  of  Eng- 
lish mint  (folia  menthae  p.  per  lac),  and  boil  for  twenty-four  hours. 
Then  pass  the  contents  through  a  sieve.  The  residuum  must  be  left 
twenty-four  hours  longer,  after  one  has  added  two  spoonfuls  of  yeast 
and  two  pounds  of  sugar.  When  the  forty-eight  hours  have  elapsed, 
pour  it  into  bottles  and  cork.  —  Ed. 


AT  YAKUTSK.  275 

and  all  the  sailors,  save  Bartletfc  and  Nindemann,  who 
were  en  route  for  Yakutsk,  and  were  beyond  doubt  the  best 
men  in  the  party  to  assist  me  in  the  early  spring  search. 
Two  months  had  now  elapsed  since  I  started  my  tele- 
gram from  Belun,  and  still  no  answer.  General  Tscher- 
naieff  offered  to  advance  government  money  for  our  trans- 
portation and  supplies  as  far  as  Irkutsk,  but  would  not 
hearken  to  my  solicitations  for  means  to  renew  the  search 
for  my  missing  comrades.  However,  as  a  mail  was  hourly 
expected,  I  postponed  my  departure  for  Irkutsk,  whither 
I  purposed  going  in  order  to  put  myself  in  wire  communi- 
cation with  the  United  States. 

January  1,  1882,  I  gathered  a  few  bottles  of  wine, 
some  vodki,  white  bread,  cakes,  and  cold  meat,  for  our 
table,  and  along  with  the  men  kept  open  house.  The 
sailors  had  made  numerous  friends,  who  all  paid  New 
Year  calls,  and  the  day  passed  quickly  and  merrily. 

As  soon  as  possible  I  forwarded  a  mail  and  telegram 
to  the  Navy  Department,  in  which  I  requested  orders  to 
remain  in  Siberia  with  two  men  and  continue  the  search 
for  De  Long  in  March. 

Meanwhile  I  had  purchased  sleds  and  provisions,  and 
prepared  everything  for  the  comfort  and  safety  of  the 
party  on  their  journey  to  Irkutsk.  General  Tschernaieff 
detailed  a  Cossack  to  take  special  care  of  Jack  Cole;  and 
he  advanced  me  6,000  roubles,  5,000  of  which  I  trans- 
ferred to  Mr.  Danenhower,  with  written  orders  to  proceed 
at  once  to  Irkutsk,  and  thence  to  the  Atlantic  sea-board, 
communicating  from  time  to  time  with  the  Secretary  of 
the  Navy  and  apprising  him  of  his  progress.  On  Jan- 
uary 6th,  Bartlett,  Nindemann,  and  the  rest  of  my  party 
arrived  at  Yakutsk,  and  on  the  9th,  with  everything  in 
readiness,  Mr.  Danenhower  started  homeward  with  the 
nine  enlisted  men. 

The  governor  and  half  the  population  were  out  on  that 
blue  frosty  day  to  see  the  Americans  set  out  for  America ; 


276  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

and  there  were  many  exiles  there  of  all  grades,  who 
hungrily  eyed  the  travelers  and  envied  them  their  jour- 
ney to  the  blessed  land  of  liberty. 

Within  my  short  life  I  have  seen  a  most  respectable, 
affluent,  and  sensitive  people  driven  like  cattle  into  one 
section  of  a  great  European  city,  and  the  gates  then 
closed  and  locked  upon  them — all  and  only  because  of 
their  religion.  And  so  it  is  to-day  as  it  was  eighteen 
centuries  ago  —  over  the  greater  part  of  the  so-called 
Christian  world,  man  is  abused  by  man  for  conscience 
sake;  though,  thanks  to  the  aggressive  leaders  of  mod- 
ern thought,  much  of  this  intolerance  is  dying  out,  yet 
not  so  rapidly  in  Christian  Russia.  And  I  pitied  the 
poor  exiles  gazing  wistfully  on  our  little  band  of  sailors, 
as  though  they  were  so  many  happy  spirits  bound  for  the 
mythical  heaven,  without  the  necessity  of  undergoing  the 
imaginary  horrors  of  death. 

When  my  comrades  had  left,  with  the  hearty  well- 
wishes  of  all,  I  began  to  make  instant  preparations  for 
my  second  expedition  to  the  Lena  Delta,  in  obedience  to 
the  following  telegraphic  order  from  the  Navy  Depart- 
ment :  — 

"  Washington. 

"  Omit  no  effort,  spare  no  expense,  in  securing  safety  of  men 

in  second  cutter.     Let  the  sick  and  the  frozen  of  those  already 

rescued  have  every  attention,  and  as  soon  as  practicable  have 

them  transferred  to  a  milder  climate.      Department  will  supply 

necessary  funds. 

"  Hunt,  Secretary." 

Upon  the  receipt  of  this  telegram  General  Tschernaieff 
said  I  could  have  anything  I  wanted,  for  I  now  had  the 
whole  Russian  nation  at  my  back ;  but  unfortunately  this 
was  a  praesnik,  a  holy  day  or  holiday  —  in  either  case  a 
day  on  which  it  was  impossible  to  have  any  work  done, 
for  every  store  was  closed,  and  even  those  farthest  re- 
moved  from   the   church    refused    to    trade.      Indeed, 


AT   YAKUTSK.  277 

throughout  the  whole  empire,  everybody  was  engaged 
in  the  Christmas  and  New  Year  festivities ;  and  I  really 
believe  the  governor  thought  I  was  rude  or  had  gone 
mad,  from  the  energetic  way  in  which  I  aroused  the  mer- 
chants and  mechanics,  and  importuned  him  to  interpose 
his  authority  to  compel  the  people  to  work  and  attend  to 
business.  For,  albeit  the  entire  town  was  drunk  during 
the  holidays,  I  nevertheless  succeeded  in  gathering  to- 
gether materials  and  supplies  for  six  months,  all  bagged 
and  put  up  in  rawhide  packages,  ready  for  transportation 
by  pack-horse,  deer-sled,  and  dog-sled  across  the  moun- 
tain range  (four  thousand  five  hundred  feet  above  the 
sea  level),  and  onward  two  thousand  miles  to  the  Arctic 
Ocean,  in  a  section  of  country  where  I  have  seen  the 
mercury  fall  in  Fahrenheit's  scale  to  seventy  degrees  be- 
low zero. 

The  governor  forwarded  my  plans  in  every  particular, 
and  assisted  me  greatly  by  his  valuable  advice.  I  en- 
gaged the  services  of  three  interpreters:  Captain  Joachim 
Gronbeck,  a  Swede,  formerly  of  the  Nordenskjold  expe- 
dition, and  commander  of  the  steamer  Lena  when  she 
plied  on  the  river  as  a  freight  and  passenger  transport, 
who  spoke  Russian  and  English  very  well,  and  in  fact, 
with  the  exception  of  a  few  talented  exiles,  was  the  only 
person  in  Yakutsk  at  all  acquainted  with  our  tongue ; 
Captain  Constantine  Bubokoff,  an  ex-officer  of  cuirassiers, 
stripped  of  his  titles  and  sent  to  Yakutsk  for  cause,  who 
spoke  Russian,  French,  German,  and  Yakut ;  and  Peter 
Kolinkin,  a  Cossack  sergeant,  and  the  special  body-ser- 
vant of  General  Tschernaieff,  who  spoke  Russian  and 
Yakut.  Thus  my  company  numbered  six  men,  three 
search  parties  of  two  men  each,  all  so  well  provided  with 
languages  that  we  could  not  help  but  understand  and 
be  understood. 

Our  outfit  was  complete  and  satisfactory,  including 
tobacco  for  the  party  and  for  presents  or  payment  to 


278  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

some  of  the  Yakuts  on  the  Delta,  together  with  a  number 
of  small  articles  suitable  for  trade  and  presents.  With 
an  eye  to  our  possible  failure  to  finish  the  search  by  early 
spring,  whereby  we  would  be  compelled  to  stay  all  sum- 
mer and  return  in  the  fall,  I  arranged  with  General 
Tschernaieff  for  the  sending  of  an  additional  six  months' 
supplies  to  Belun.  I  drew  money  on  government  requi- 
sitions, and  kept  Bartlett  and  Nindemann  busy  all  the 
days  long  purchasing  the  small  articles  for  our  use. 

The  governor  gave  his  own  personal  attention  to  the 
laying  in  of  the  bread,  beef,  flour,  tea,  and  other  heavy 
supplies  ;  while  the  plates  and  numerous  copper  platters, 
pans  and  kettles  were  all  procured  through  the  police 
master,  whom  the  governor,  however,  watched  closely. 
The  Scaups  furnished  us  with  many  of  our  provisions, 
and  the  dried  beef  and  butter,  composed  of  equal  quan- 
tities of  butter  and  suet,  were  to  be  prepared  at  Verke- 
ransk;  where  also,  to  save  transportation,  we  would  ob- 
tain our  bread,  which  was  first  baked  in  large  loaves, 
then  cut  while  soft  and  hot  into  two -inch  cubes,  and 
finally  kiln-dried  in  ovens  and  called  sucree. 

In  the  evenings  we  generally  visited  our  friends,  of 
whom  there  were  not  a  few.  As  at  Verkeransk,  so  here, 
and  indeed  everywhere  in  this  cold,  dreary  climate,  the 
people  of  all  ages  and  classes  have  but  one  means  of 
whiling  away  the  long  dark  evenings  —  the  card  party, 
at  which  everybody  smokes,  drinks,  or  gambles  ;  and  I 
was  again  stared  at  as  a  most  curious  person  when  I  con- 
fessed to  never  playing  cards.  However,  I  partook  of 
their  cacuska  (liquor,  raw  fish,  caviare,  pork,  etc.,  spread 
out  on  side-boards),  and  drank  sparingly  of  their  vodJci. 
Yet  the  people  were  equally  astonished,  knowing  of  the 
abundant  supplies  I  had  purchased  for  the  expedition,  to 
learn  that  I  had  not  included  in  the  list  a  single  drop  of 
alcohol. 

During  my  sojourn  in  Yakutsk,  I  had  many  pleasant 


AT  YAKUTSK.  279 

insights  into  the  social  life  of  the  Siberians,  a  great 
number  of  whom  are  free  Russians,  merchants  of  the 
first  class,  who  have  emigrated  there  for  the  advantage 
of  trade.  Others  are  the  free  children  of  exiles,  and 
then  there  is  quite  a  host  of  government  officials,  mili- 
tary, Cossack,  civil,  police,  revenue,  church,  etc.  On  New 
Year's  Eve  the  governor,  officials,  and  all  persons  of  rank 
congregated  in  the  public  assembly  room  to  welcome  the 
birth  of  1882.  Ladies  and  gentlemen  mingled,  drank 
and  conversed  together,  or  danced  to  the  lively  music  of 
a  large  orchestra  ;  the  gambling  tables  were  set,  and  all 
the  elite  of  Yakutsk  had  evidently  turned  out,  and,  as 
the  •lieutenant-governor  remarked  to  me,  on  this  night 
as  on  no  other,  every  man  had  his  own  wife  at  his  side, 
instead  of  some  other  man's.  Let  this  be  as  it  might, 
however,  all  seemed  cheerful  and  happy. 

The  governor  was  playing  cards,  and,  as  the  rest  of 
the  party  could  not  understand  my  Russian  without  great 
torture,  I  lapsed  into  silence,  and  my  mind  reverted  to 
distant  scenes  of  ice  and  snow. 

As  the  clock  ticked  out  the  last  seconds  of  the  old 
year,  and  the  critical  moment  drew  nigh,  every  one  be- 
came silent,  many  standing  with  bottles  of  champagne 
in  their  hands,  the  cork  strings  cut,  ready  to  fire  a  salute. 
Suddenly  the  bell  began  to  ring,  and  the  governor  aris- 
ing announced  the  arrival  of  the  Nova  Croat  (New  Year). 
Then,  amid  a  volley  of  popping  corks,  the  life  and  health 
of  the  Czar  and  all  good  Russians  were  drunk ;  and  after 
considerable  hand  -  shaking,  congratulations,  and  wine, 
the  party  dispersed.  The  morrow  was  a  notable  church 
day,  on  which  it  was  the  duty  of  the  governor-general, 
followed  by  all  the  populace,  to  first  call  upon  the  bishop. 
I  was  present  at  the  ceremony.  A  grand  procession  was 
formed  of  the  clergy  in  their  robes,  carrying  crosses, 
crosiers,  books,  etc.  Chanting,  they  approached  and  sur- 
rounded the  bishop,  who  sat  in  a  large  arm-chair,  and 


280  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

each  one  then  advanced  in  order,  with  his  hands  out- 
stretched, the  left  resting  in  the  right,  and  both  palms 
turned  up.  The  bishop  graciously  placed  his  hand  in 
each  extended  pair,  and  had  the  back  of  it  humbly- 
kissed  by  the  honored  recipient  of  his  blessing.  When 
the  clergy  had  performed,  the  governor  and  all  his  of- 
ficial household  fell  into  line  according  to  rank,  and  did 
likewise ;  after  which  the  people  followed  suit,  many, 
however,  refraining  from  the  kissing  act.  Later  on  in 
the  day,  the  bishop  with  several  of  his  aids  visited  the 
governor,  armed  with  their  crosses,  crosiers,  and  other 
insignia  of  office.  I  was  on  hand  by  request,  and  con- 
versed for  a  few  moments  with  the  bishop.  He  shortly 
left,  and  then  the  household  icons  were  blessed  amid 
prayers,  chants,  genuflections, etc.,  the  service  winding  up 
with  the  presentation,  by  the  governor,  of  paper  roubles. 

Next  day  the  bishop  returned  my  call  at  the  Balogan 
Americanski,  and  seemed  very  much  interested  in  my 
work  and  people.  All  that  day  I  saw  numberless  pro- 
cessions of  the  clergy  visiting  alike  the  houses  of  rich 
and  poor,  who  in  return  for  the  blessings  their  little  gods 
received  made  liberal  presents  to  each  squad  of  religious 
visitors.  And  as  this  sort  of  thing  continued  from  early 
morning  to  night,  I  have  an  idea  that  the  purses  of  the 
people  must  have  been  wofully  depleted.  In  the  evening 
the  streets  were  filled  with  masqueraders,  in  parties 'of 
half  a  dozen  or  so,  who  carried  their  own  music,  gener- 
ally a  little  accordeon,  and  called  promiscuously  at  all 
the  houses  and  danced  without  invitation.  Every  family 
was  ready,  however,  to  receive  and  refresh  them  with 
vodki,  cognac,  tea,  etc.,  the  inevitable  raw  salt  fish,  cut  in 
little  pieces,  smoked  salmon,  sliced  sausage,  white  and 
black  bread,  dried  cakes,  etc.,  and  so  as  night  drew  on, 
not  only  the  masqueraders,  but  most  of  the  clergy,  too, 
were  gloriously  drunk. 

There  is  a  regular  military  and  Cossack  force  stationed 


AT   YAKUTSK.  281 

at  Yakutsk,  aggregating  two  thousand  men.  These  mili- 
tary and  Cossack  forces  are  entirely  distinct  commands, 
and  live  in  separate  barracks,  which  are  finely  appointed ; 
and  the  soldiers  are  all  as  well-clad  and  fed  as  the  aver- 
age denizen  of  Yakutsk.  The  city  has  been  fortified  for 
three  hundred  years,  and  some  of  the  old  Cossack  towers 
are  still  standing.  A  government  bank  is  located  here, 
in  which  the  revenues  are  deposited,  and  it  does  a  bulky 
business,  since  many  of  the  taxes  are  paid  in  fox-skins 
instead  of  cash.  I  watched  the  clerks  counting,  sealing, 
and  baling  up  these  skins  like  so  much  paper  money, 
for  their  transportation  to  the  East,  where  they  are  sold 
by  the  government's  agents  at  Nijni-Novgorod,  or  some 
other  fur  mart,  for  the  benefit  of  the  Czar.  This  ar- 
rangement affords  an  opportunity  for  peculation  on  the 
part  of  the  espravnicks  of  certain  distant  districts  in 
their  collection  of  the  revenue.  For  the  natives  pay 
their  head-tax  in  cash  or  fox-skins  ;  and  as  the  latter 
rate  was  fixed  many  years  ago  when  the  tax  was  low 
and  the  skins  had  little  value,  now  that  they  have  so 
greatly  appreciated,  when  the  ignorant  native  deposits 
his  fox-skins,  the  cunning  espravnick  pockets  them,  pays 
the  low  tax  in  cash,  and  through  a  copert  accomplice  dis- 
poses of  the  skins  at  a  high  figure. 

On  January  19th,  I  started  off  Nindemann  and  his  in- 
terpreter, Bubokoff,  for  Belun,  with  orders  to  hasten  for- 
ward as  quickly  as  possible,  and  await  my  arrival.  I  dis- 
patched him  ahead  in  order  that  he  might  prepare  the 
way  for  our  provision  train,  in  charge  of  Bartlett,  accom- 
panied by  the  Cossack  sergeant,  Kolinkin.  Then,  as  I 
have  elsewhere  stated,  it  was  necessary  to  travel  in  sec- 
tions owing  to  the  limited  number  of  transport  animals 
on  the  road.  On  the  23d  Bartlett  got  under  way ;  and 
now  I  had  only  to  pay  the  bills,  sign  the  governor's  pa- 
pers, and  be  off  myself.  But  the  governor  insisted  that 
I  should  wait  a  few  days  for  the  provision  train  to  advance 


282  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

and  the  horses  and  deer  to  return.  I  then  vowed  that 
I  would  never  again  find  fault  with  Spanish  or  Portuguese 
holidays  ;  for  surely  after  my  experience  with  the  praes- 
nik  I  am  satisfied  that  the  Russians  surpass  every  nation 
on  the  face  of  the  globe  in  the  number  of  their  religious 
festivals,  and  ingenuity  in  devising  excuses  for  avoiding 
work  and  getting  drunk. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 
NORTH  AGAIN. 

Off  for  Verkeransk.  -  A  Climatic  Surprise.  -  The  Journey  to  Be- 
lun  _  Arrangements  for  the  Search.  -  A  Rough  Ride  to  Jamave- 
loch.  —  Futile  Attempts  to  dispatch  Fish.  -A  «  Corner  "  in  Fish. 
—  Indignant  Coperts.  —  The  Gamblers  of  the  Lena  Delta.  —  Pay- 
ing off  Old  Scores.  —  Humbled  Nicolai  and  Repentant  Spindon. 

Finally,  on  January  27,  1882,  having  signed  every 
paper  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  governor,  and  joined  him 
in  an  excellent  dinner,  I  departed  from  Yakutsk  for  Be- 
lun,  in  company  with  Captain  Gronbeck.  The  weather 
was  exceedingly  cold,  but  we  made  rapid  progress,  and 
overtook  both  Nindemann  and  Bartlett  at  Verkeransk. 
Nindemann  and  Bubokoff,  however,  were  ready  for  a 
start,  and  set  out  again  on  the  evening  of  my  arrival, 
February  4th. 

Of  course  I  met  all  my  old  friends  again,  and  was  glad 
to  note  their  pleasure  at  my  return.  Kasharofski  had 
been  relieved  of  duty  by  his  assistant,  Epatchieff,  who 
was  now  espravnick  of  the  district,  Kasharofski  being 
ordered  to  the  Kolyma  at  Nijni  Kolymsk,to  succeed  the 
espravnick  of  that  district,  who  had  been  recalled  by  Gen- 
eral Tschernaieff  for  rascality  of  some  kind.  Kasharof- 
ski did  not  consider  it  much  of  a  promotion,  for  his  new 
station  Was  farther  out  on  the  frontier,  where  food  was 
poor  and  scarce;  but  then  the  general  had  said  he  loved 
and  trusted  him,  and  consequently  could  send  him  a  long 
way  off,  while  it  was  necessary  to  keep  the  rogues  nearer 
home.     He  seemed  greatly  disappointed  that  I  had  not 


284  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

brought  him  any  lemons,  but  they  were  not  procurable  in 
Yakutsk. 

I  was  forcibly  impressed,  on  the  journey,  with  the  re- 
markable differences  in  temperature.  To  the  southward 
of  the  mountain  range  absolute  stillness  reigned,  and  the 
snow-fall  was  constant  and  heavy.  The  trees  were  so 
overburdened  with  their  white  weight,  softly  and  quietly 
heaped  upon  them,  that  many  had  broken  down  com- 
pletely and  obstructed  the  wild  roads  through  the  forest. 
Our  yamshicks  were  furnished  with  hatchets,  and  would 
stop  to  cut  and  drag  the  trees  from  our  path.  Crossing 
the  mountain  divide,  our  march  was  long  and  toilsome, 
and  it  was  with  great  difficulty  the  deer  could  haul  the 
empty  sleighs  up  the  steep  incline. 

When  we  had  finally  gained  the  top  of  the  divide,  I 
at  once  felt  a  change  in  the  atmosphere.  Whereas  to  the 
southward  everything  was  as  calm  as  the  quiet  of  death, 
in  front  of  us  a  gale  was  already  blowing ;  and  instead  of 
trees  bowed  down  and  breaking  with  their  burden  of 
snow,  to  the  northward  of  the  mountain  range  not  a 
single  flake  appeared  on  the  shrubbery  or  woodland.  We 
seemed  to  have  passed  into  another  climate ;  behind  us  all 
was  white,  before  us,  green  ;  for  the  wind  forever  swaying 
the  trees  kept  them  clear  of  snow ;  and  then  again,  the 
snow-fall  to  the  northward  is  much  less  than  to  the  south- 
ward, since  the  clouds  are  mostly  milked  out  ere  they 
can  cross  the  mountains.  Arrived  at  Kangerack  station 
we  were  met  by  a  Yakut  golivar  (head  man)  with  fresh 
deer,  who  hurried  us  on  to  Verkeransk.  He  had  been 
dispatched  to  our  assistance  by  the  espravnick,  whom 
General  Tschernaieff  had  ordered  to  give  my  party  the 
right  of  way,  and  also  to  accompany  me  on  the  search. 

To  be  sure  I  saw  my  exiled  friends  again,  and  used  their 
bath-house.  They  were  all  in  high  spirits,  making  pein- 
mican,  and  preparations  generally  for  their  projected  es- 
cape.    I  allowed  Bartlett  and  his  transport  a  few  days' 


NORTH  AGAIN.  285 

start  on  the  road  for  Belun,  awaiting  the  return  of  his 
first  deer-teams.  Just  before  leaving  Verkeransk,  Epa- 
tchieff  gave  an  entertainment  at  his  house,  at  which  all 
the  elite,  and  others  as  well  were  present,  including  the 
priest  of  the  village,  his  wife  and  children,  and  my  old 
acquaintances,  Leon  and  Doctor  Buali.  There  was  great 
feasting,  and  when  all  was  over  and  we  were  ready  to  set 
out,  the  priest  prayed,  chanted,  and  sang,  and  everybody 
went  through  certain  ceremonies,  after  which  the  inde- 
fatigable priest  kissed  his  friends  good-by.  Then  with 
a  large  following  we  started  for  Belun ;  but  a  little  way 
out  on  the  road  a  halt  was  called,  and  more  farewells, 
hand-shakings,  and  brandy-drinking  indulged  in;  until, 
finally,  when  the  performance  was  becoming  decidedly 
monotonous  to  me,  we  forsook  our  friends  and  shot  off 
into  the  darkness.  My  party  now  consisted,  besides  my- 
self, of  Captain  Gronbeck,  Epatchieff,  and  his  Cossack ; 
and  we  left  Verkeransk  on  the  night  of  February  10th. 

The  snow  was  very  deep,  the  mountain  roads  rugged 
beyond  description,  and  the  wind  fierce  and  howling.  It 
blew  as  though  it  would  never  calm.  Our  reindeer  were 
poor  and  weak,  and  our  progress  over  the  first  distance 
of  two  hundred  and  twenty  versts  consequently  slow,  for 
we  were  obliged  to  stop  at  every  povarnia  to  feed  and 
rest  the  teams.  The  next  station  was  two  hundred  and 
ninety  versts  distant,  but  we  succeeded  in  procuring  fine 
large  deer,  as  wild  as  the  landscape.  They  plunged  and 
chafed  and  wallowed  about  in  the  deep  snow.  A  doe 
hitched  next  to  a  buck  will  labor  quietly  along,  while 
her  great  fat  companion  worries  and  frets  himself  to 
death  within  several  hours ;  and  the  father  and  son  of 
a  rich  Yakut  family  at  this  station  who  have  large  herds 
of  deer,  and  do  all  the  traffic  on  this  part  of  the  road,  told 
me  that  they  had  killed  a  great  many  of  their  animals  in 
forwarding  Nindemann  and  Bartlett.  I  never  experi- 
enced such  stormy  weather,  and  owing  to  the  heavy  snow 


286  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

and  high  winds  the  mountain  roads  could  not  be  kept 
broken  or  open. 

We  overtook  Bartlett  about  one  hundred  versts  from 
Belun.  His  teams  had  lost  their  way  during  the  night, 
and  had  been  snowed  in ;  four  of  their  deer  had  died  in 
harness ;  they,  themselves,  had  almost  perished  ;  and  we 
came  upon  them  in  a  povarnia,  where  they  were  repair- 
ing damages  and  resting  their  deer  before  returning  for 
a  portion  of  the  transport  which  they  had  left  in  the 
mountains.  We  exchanged  our  vigorous  deer  for  the 
best  of  their  exhausted  ones,  and  then  pushed  on ;  leav- 
ing them  to  recuperate  over  night  and  follow  us  the  next 
day.  The  remainder  of  our  journey  was  beset  with  dif- 
ficulties, but  we  covered  the  hundred  versts  in  eighteen 
hours,  arriving  at  Belun  on  the  evening  of  February  17th, 
Bartlett  and  Kolinkin  making  their  appearance  three 
hours  after,  and  a  part  of  their  train  a  little  later  ;  though 
half  of  it  yet  remained  in  the  mountains.  Nindemann 
killed  thirteen  deer  on  the  road,  Bartlett  eight,  and  the 
rest  of  his  transport  still  to  be  heard  from ;  so  it  was  no 
wonder  that  the  Yakut,  as  the  espravnick  told  me,  was 
complaining  bitterly  of  his  loss  of  deer,  for  since  his 
yamshicks  had  done  the  driving,  I  could  not  be  held  re- 
sponsible. 

I  found  Nindemann  and  BubokofI  contented  and 
drinking  tea  in  real  Russian  style  in  our  old  quarters, 
the  Balogan  Americanski,  where  they  had  engaged  a 
native  and  wife,  as  cook  and  wood  and  water  carrier. 
They  had  made  the  journey  from  Yakutsk  in  twenty-two 
days ;  Bartlett  in  twenty-four,  and  myself  in  twenty-one. 
Bieshoff  said  the  weather  at  Belun  had  been  stormy  all 
winter  ;  the  gale,  in  fact,  had  not  ceased  blowing  for 
twelve  hours  since  November ;  and,  truly,  our  severe 
travel  to  the  southward  was  a  sorry  forerunner  of  what 
was  in  store  for  us  further  north.  Indeed,  if  the  weather 
continued  so  un propitious,  I  did  not  see  what  I  could  do 


NORTH  AGAIN.  287 

until  late  spring;  but  storm  or  no  storm  I  was  resolved 
to  set  forth  as  soon  as  I  could  arrange  for  transportation. 
Then,  too,  I  must  secure  the  services  of  Yakuts,  and  also 
procure  a  fish  supply  for  men  and  dogs. 

I  soon  perceived  how  fortunate  I  was  in  having  the 
espravnick  with  me,  for  the  speculative  coperts,  we 
learned,  had  bought  up  all  the  fish  caught  on  the  Delta, 
holding  them  all  undelivered  at  the  fisheries,  and  their 
value  had  so  appreciated  that  the  fish  I  could  have  pur- 
chased the  previous  fall  for  three  copecks  were  now 
quoted  at  seven  copecks.  For  this  reason  I  decided  to 
go  across  the  mountains  two  hundred  and  eighty  versts 
to  Jamaveloch  and  bargain  for  our  fish  supplies ;  Epa- 
tchieff  promising  to  break  all  contracts  between  the  na- 
tives and  coperts,  save  written  ones,  or  such  as  had  been 
fulfilled  by  payment  or  deliver}'.  Before  leaving,  how- 
ever, Epatchieff  attended  a  public  vendue  of  the  effects 
of  a  Yakut  who  had  died  intestate,  and  selecting  the 
best  seventeen  from  a  lot  of  deer,  had  them  knocked 
down  to  me.  I  bought  them  for  food  on  the  hoof,  and 
had  them  afterwards  driven  to  Cass  Carta,  our  northwest 
depot  of  supplies  —  no  trivial  undertaking  in  itself,  as 
Bieshoff  told  me  that  owing  to  the  tempestuous  weather 
no  one  had  made  the  journey  for  three  months.  Yet  I 
was  eager  to  reach  the  ground  as  soon  as  possible  and 
begin  the  search,  in  order  that  I  might  be  able  to  look 
for  Chipp  and  party  during  the  summer. 

I  contracted  with  a  certain  Ivan  Patnoggin  and  wife 
to  accompany  me  in  the  capacities  of  cook  and  scullion. 
They  had  a  baby  which  they  ardently  desired  to  take 
along,  but  I  solaced  them  for  its  temporary  loss  by  pay- 
ing two  roubles  per  month  to  its  grandmother  for  her 
care  of  the  little  waif,  and  providing  her  with  five  pounds 
of  butter  and  forty  pounds  of  flour  as  its  food.  I  agreed 
to  pay  Ivan  and  wife  for  their  services  fifteen  roubles  per 
month,  and,  beside  transportation  to  and  from  Belun, 


288  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

gave  them  one  pound  of  tobacco  as  a  gratuity.  Tomat 
Constantine  I  reengaged  at  a  salary  of  twenty-five  roubles 
and  one  pound  of  tobacco  per  month,  and  stipulated  that 
he  should  have  two  fish  a  day  for  food.  I  also  perfected 
arrangements  for  the  transportation  of  our  provisions  to 
Cass  Carta  at  the  usual  rate  of  three  copecks  per  five 
pood  per  verst,  storing  six  months'  supplies  at  Belun  until 
the  next  fall,  should  I  be  obliged  to  remain  ;  and  likewise 
arranged  that  the  balance  of  my  supplies,  en  route  from 
Verkeransk,  should  be  delivered  at  Jamaveloch. 

With  all  these  affairs  satisfactorily  settled,  I  departed 
February  22d  for  Jamaveloch,  accompanied  by  Cap- 
tain Gronbeck  and  Epatchieff ;  the  party  I  had  put  in 
charge  of  Bartlett  with  oi'ders  to  leave  Belun  on  the 
27th,  under  the  guidance  of  Tomat  Constantine,  and 
hasten  without  delay  to  Cass  Carta,  conducting  the  pro- 
vision train  and  seventeen  head  of  deer.  I  afterwards 
learned  that  it  would  not  be  possible  to  drive  the  deer 
by  way  of  Bulcour  and  Mat  Vay,  as  there  was  no  deer- 
moss  in  the  whole  of  that  district,  and  the  animals  would 
surely  perish  without  it ;  so  I  directed  Bartlett  to  pro- 
ceed to  Buruloch,  and  thence  to  Ku  Mark  Surt,  where 
he  would  find  dog-teams  sent  over  by  me  from  Jamave- 
loch. Here,  too,  he  would  part  company  with  his  deer, 
which  would  be  driven  across  the  mountains  to  the  north- 
ward, while  he  pursued  the  bed  of  the  river,  via  Bulcour, 
to  Mat  Vay,  where  I  would  have  a  sufficient  store  of  fish 
awaiting  him  to  carry  the  party  through  to  Cass  Carta, 
the  northwest  depot  of  supplies,  from  which  I  proposed 
to  start  my  search  parties.  I  also  proposed  to,  and  did, 
locate  provisions  at  Mat  Vay  as  our  eastern  depot,  and, 
on  my  final  search  toward  the  mouth  of  the  Jana  River, 
to  make  Jamaveloch  our  base  of  supplies. 

We  made  a  fairly  rapid  journey  to  Buruloch,  the  deer 
station,  and  induced  the  starosti  to  accompany  us  to 
Jamaveloch.     I  endeavored  to  secure  the  services  of  a 


NORTH  AGAIN.  289 

native  to  drive  our  deer,  when  they  arrived,  to  Cass 
Carta,  and  was  greatly  surprised  to  have  the  interpreter 
and  espravnick  inform  me  that  there  was  but  one  man 
who  knew  the  road,  and  he  was  far  too  old  to  undertake 
the  journey  at  that  season  of  the  year.  But  I  had  learned 
to  my  sorrow  that  there  were  more  rogues  than  saints 
in  Siberia,  and  so  insisted  that  there  must  certainly  be 
some  one  else  acquainted  with  the  way.  Still  they  as- 
sured me  that  he  was  the  only  man,  and  so  upon  my 
request  the  espravnick  sent  for  him.  He  was,  of  course, 
compelled  to  come,  brought  from  some  distant  quarter  of 
the  village,  leaning  on  the  shoulder  of  a  young  girl,  and 
otherwise  supported  by  a  great  staff  taller  than  himself. 
He  was  blind  and  half-naked,  only  a  few  deer-skin  tatters 
clinging  to  his  decrepit  body,  which  here  and  there  was 
entirely  exposed  to  the  weather.  He  tottered  into  our 
presence  saying  "  Drastie,  drastie,"  and  at  sight  of  him 
I  was  ashamed  of  myself,  but  Epatchieff  interrogated 
him.  How  long  was  it  since  he  had  driven  across  the 
mountains  ?  "  About  twenty  years,'"  he  said.  Did  he 
know  of  any  one  other  than  himself  who  could  find  the 
way  ?  He  did  not,  except  his  two  sons,  and  they  were 
both  dead.  No  one  used  the  deer-road  now  ;  all  the  trav- 
elers went  the  other  way,  with  dogs.  So  I  left  word  for 
Bartlett  to  hire  a  man  at  Buruloch  or  Ku  Mark  Surt  to 
drive  his  deer  after  him  to  Cass  Carta  ;  and  if  he  thought 
there  was  any  likelihood  of  his  provisions  giving  out  on 
the  journey,  to  kill  for  food  what  deer  he  could  carry 
with  him.  Bartlett  received  my  note,  but  said  it  was  so 
badly  written  he  could  not  read  it. 

There  being  no  dogs  at  Buruloch,  we  started  in  deer- 
teams  along  the  river  bed  toward  Jamaveloch,  entering, 
to  the  eastward  of  Ku  Mark  Surt,  a  ravine,  or  the  dry 
bed  of  a  mountain  stream,  in  which  we  wended  our  way. 
It  was  a  hundred  and  thirty  versts  to  a  povarnia  in  the 
mountains,  from  which  to  Tamoose  it  was  a  hundred  and 
19 


290  IN  THE  LENA    DELTA. 

seventy  versts  more.  Though  I  had  been  up  at  three 
o'clock,  and  ready  to  start  at  four  in  the  morning,  yet  we 
had  not  succeeded  in  getting  off  until  six,  which,  after 
all,  was  an  early  hour  for  this  section  of  the  country. 
The  storm  raged  in  a  terrible  manner,  and  the  yamshicks 
had  no  desire  to  venture  forth  and  cope  with  it.  We 
would  find  no  fresh  deer  on  the  road  ;  and,  should  we  be 
storm-bound,  not  only  should  we  suffer  greatly  ourselves 
for  want  of  food,  but  I  should  also  be  delayed  in  forward- 
ing relief  to  Bartlett,  who,  under  his  orders,  would  move 
promptly.  After  crossing  the  mountains,  we  had  before 
us  a  tundra  passage  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  versts ; 
and,  upon  second  thought,  the  natives  decided  to  abandon 
their  intention  of  visiting  the  povarnia,  and  lay  instead  a 
course  across  the  tundra  that  night.  Darkness  came  on 
with  a  furious  tempest  of  snow,  and,  according  to  cus- 
tom, the  yamshicks  lost  their  way.  We  slept  on  the  sleds, 
while  the  deer,  made  fast,  rested  and  browsed,  and  the 
yamshicks,  doubled  up  in  their  reindeer-coats,  sat  down 
with  their  backs  to  the  wind,  and  let  it  blow. 

We  were  lost,  but  not  so  badly  but  that  we  could  find 
our  way  again  at  daylight.  This  we  did,  and  traversing 
the  tundra  reached  by  night-fall  the  shore  of  the  Bay  of 
Bukoff ;  but  the  natives  did  not  dare  to  cross  the  bay, 
and  so  we  skirted  around  it ;  and  finally,  at  ten  o'clock, 
after  many  turnings  and  abortive  movements,  during 
which  the  wild  gale  dashed  clouds  of  snow  in  our  faces 
and  half-buried  the  teams,  we  arrived,  nigh  frozen  to 
death,  at  a  hut  in  Tamoose ;  having  traveled  that  day 
one  hundred  and  ninety  versts,  and  gone  without  food  or 
water  since  our  three  o'clock  breakfast  the  morning  be- 
fore at  Buruloch.  And  there  was  some  satisfaction  in 
having  kept  these  people  active  whether  they  wanted  to 
move  or  not,  and  in  seeing  them  eat  scraps  of  raw  frozen 
beef  or  deer  meat  from  the  provision  sacks  stored  in  our 
sleds. 


NORTH  AGAIN.  291 

At  Tamoose  I  met  again  our  exile  friends,  and  found 
that  the  Russian  and  Yakut  coperts  are  as  well  acquainted 
with  the  philosophy  of  "corners  "  in  fish  as  our  Chicago 
merchants  are  with  "  corners  "  in  grain  ;  for  Kusma  told 
me  that  they  had  bought  up  all  the  fish  in  Tamoose.  I 
also  received  the  more  agreeable  intelligence  that  I  could 
go  to  Oceansk  from  this  point  by  journeying  directly 
across  the  bay  and  forward  for  three  hundred  and  fifty 
versts.  We  passed  the  night  at  Tamoose,  and  early  the 
next  morning  set  out  for  Jamaveloch.  Immediately  upon 
my  arrival  there,  I  arranged  with  the  natives  to  send  two 
dog-teams  to  Ku  Mark  Surt  for  the  transportation  of 
Bartlett  and  party  to  Cass  Carta.  These  I  loaded  with 
one  hundred  and  fifty  fish,  the  natives  carrying  an  extra 
supply  for  themselves  and  dogs  ;  and  sent  ordei's  to  Bart- 
lett directing  him  to  hold  the  natives  and  teams  until 
they  had  advanced  him  as  far  as  Cass  Carta.  I  also  in- 
structed him  in  my  note  that  at  Mat  Vay  he  would  find 
a  depot  of  fish  ;  for  as  soon  as  I  had  started  off  four  teams 
to  Ku  Mark  Surt,  I  collected  four  more  and  dispatched 
them  to  Mat  Vay,  with  instructions  not  to  fail  in  getting 
through,  but  to  make  a  depot  of  fish  at  that  point,  and 
then  hurry  on  to  Ku  Mark  Surt  and  assist  in  the  trans- 
portation of  Bartlett's  party.  There  was  a  brief  lull  in 
the  storm,  and  during  its  continuance  I  succeeded  in 
starting  the  natives,  who  were  very  loath  to  go.  They 
delayed  a  long  while  in  tomfoolery  before  their  icons, 
and  in  kissing  their  friends,  so  that  they  had  barely  set 
forth  when  the  wind  arose  again,  and  I  felt  sorry  to  see 
them  depart.  Still  this  was  our  contract,  and  Bartlett 
would  depend  on  me  for  a  fish  supply  if  he  should  be 
unable  to  take  his  deer  with  him,  which  was  doubtful 
indeed. 

But  the  natives  had  scarcely  started  when  they  came 
back  and  declared  that  the  wind  was  too  strong,  and  in 
very  truth  it  was  impossible  to  face  it.     They  all  corrobo- 


292  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

rated  the  story  of  Bieshoff  and  the  people  at  Belun,  that 
no  team  had  ventured  to  cross  the  mountains  for  three 
months  ;  but  they  promised  to  begin  their  journey  again 
as  soon  as  the  weather  would  permit. 

I  paid  for  the  fish  at  the  usual  rates,  or  at  a  slight  pre- 
mium, and  Epatchieff  seized  all  that  the  natives  had  for 
sale  or  had  bargained  to  sell  to  the  speculative  coperts, 
whose  ring  was  thus  broken,  and  who  were  consequently 
very  savage.  They  threatened  the  natives  with  condign 
punishment,  vowing  that  they  would  never  thenceforth 
sell  them  any  salt,  tea,  or  tobacco,  and  advised  them 
spitefully  to  procure  these  luxuries  from  the  Americans 
—  "  they  were  so  much  better."  Luckily  I  had  an  abun- 
dance of  tea,  tobacco,  and  other  articles,  with  which  I 
could  pay  the  natives  in  lieu  of  cash  ;  and  as  I  only  added 
the  first  price  and  the  cost  of  transportation  together,  they 
received  almost  double  the  traders'  allowance  from  me  in 
payment  for  their  fish.  And  yet  they  were  not  benefited, 
for  I  soon  became  aware  of  the  presence  at  Jamaveloch  of 
an  organized  band  of  thieves,  who  gambled  night  and  day 
with  the  natives  for  their  articles  in  trade,  and,  in  fact, 
conducted  their  business  as  systematically  as  any  gam- 
bling-house in  the  world. 

Noticing  a  number  of  these  well-dressed,  sharp-looking 
knaves  in  the  village,  I  at  first  inquired  of  Epatchieff 
who  they  were.  He  laughed,  and  answered,  "  Coperts ;  " 
and  then  dealing  an  imaginary  pack  of  cards  around  a 
table,  he  made  a  sweep  with  his  hands,  as  though  gather- 
ing in  a  heap  of  money,  which,  in  fancy,  he  forthwith 
stuffed  in  his  pockets.  These  thieves,  bringing  a  quan- 
tity of  tea,  tobacco,  and  small  money,  come  down  to  the 
Delta  and  live  among  the  natives,  from  whom  they  pur- 
chase anything  they  can,  paying  cash,  which  they  imme- 
diately win  back  again  ;  so  that,  at  the  end  of  the  winter 
season,  when  the  coperts  are  ready  to  decamp,  they  take 
away  with  them   everything  that  the  natives   possessed 


NORTH  AGAIN.  293 

the  fall  before,  leaving  their  victims  ragged  and  starving, 
but,  strange  to  say,  more  anxious  than  ever  to  be  fleeced. 
I  have  seen  them  sell  their  deer-skins,  clothing,  copper 
kettles  —  their  little  all  —  to  the  gamblers,  who  would 
pay  over  the  money,  sit  presently  down,  and  in  less  than 
half  an  hour  win  it  back  again.  The  kettles  and  other 
heavy  articles  which  they  could  not  conveniently  carry, 
they  would  sell  back  to  the  natives  at  a  high  rate,  or  take 
a  lien  on  their  next  summer's  hunt  or  catch  of  fish. 

And  yet  the  Yakuts  seemed  to  like  it.  They  gambled 
away  their  fish  before  my  eyes  ;  and  then,  ranging  their 
wives  and  children  in  a  row,  would  show  me  their  empty 
kettles,  and  push  their  stomachs  in  to  indicate  that  they 
were  empty,  too  ;  and  this  while  the  gambler  sat  placidly 
beside  his  spoils  in  the  same  apartment.  On  one  such 
occasion  I  asked  the  native,  who  had  just  lost  one  hun- 
dred fish,  how  many  he  wanted  for  supper,  and,  upon  his 
answering  "  Ten,"  I  took  that  number  from  the  ill-gotten 
stack  in  front  of  the  gambler,  and  gave  them  to  him. 
"  All  right,"  said  the  copert,  "  but  you  must  pay  me  sev- 
enty copecks  for  the  fish  "  —  that  is,  one  hundred  and 
thirty-three  and  a  third  per  cent,  more  than  their  market 
value.  The  native  stood  anxiously  by  to  see  if  I  would 
be  dunce  enough  to  buy  back  for  himself  and  family  a 
supper  which  he  had  recklessly  squandered  away  ;  but  I 
coolly  drew  forth  from  our  hamper  enough  fish  for  my 
party  and  cooked  them  at  his  fire,  thinking  it  might 
prove  of  value  to  him  to  be  sent  supperless  to  bed.  But 
I  doubt  if  it  did,  since  the  gambler  gave  him  five  fish  on 
the  promise  of  ten  from  the  next  catch  ;  and  so  it  contin- 
ues ;  the  old  and  young  of  both  sexes  gamble  whenever 
an  opportunity  presents  itself,  and  I  believe  this  to  be 
the  direct  cause  of  most  of  the  misery  and  starvation 
which  haunts  the  Delta. 

When  I  landed  the  previous  fall  at  Jamaveloch,  the 
balogans  stood  about  eight  or  ten  feet  above  the  ground ; 


294  IN    THE  LENA   DELTA. 

now  they  were  but  slight  undulations  on  the  surface  of 
the  snow,  and  a  column  of  smoke  by  day  and  a  fountain 
of  sparks  by  night  alone  indicated  the  exact  location  of 
each  hut.  The  sleds  ran  evenly  over  the  roofs,  and  the 
dogs  halted  at  the  chimneys  to  sniff  the  good  things  cook- 
ing below  in  the  dinner-pots,  so  completely  was  the  vil- 
lage snowed  under.  While  awaiting  a  lull  in  the  storm, 
I  assembled  all  the  Bukoff  folks  and  paid  off  my  old 
scores  for  fish  and  geese.  To  Kusma  I  also  gave  the 
reward  I  had  promised  him  for  carrying  my  message  to 
Belun  ;  but  as  he  had  not  been  able  to  supply  the  deer- 
teams  and  clothing  for  the  transportation  of  my  party, 
I  only  paid  him  three  hundred  of  the  five  hundred  rou- 
bles I  had  agreed  to  give  him,  and  handed  the  balance  to 
Bieshoff  to  cover  his  expenses  in  the  performance  of  that 
service.  Kusma,  in  addition,  received  a  paper  prepared 
by  the  espravnick,  which  gave  him  a  proper  title  to  the 
whale-boat,  with  the  reserved  privilege,  however,  to  my- 
self or  any  American  party  to  make  free  use  of  it  in 
searching  along  the  coast  during  the  summer  for  the  peo- 
ple of  the  second  cutter. 

Epatchieff  had  notified  all  the  natives  to  present  their 
claims,  and  some  of  them  tried  to  double  the  amount  of 
provisions  they  had  furnished  us  ;  but  I  had  a  tally-sheet 
which  Danenhower  had  kept,  and  upon  my  leaving  Jam- 
aveloch  I  had  enjoined  upon  him  the  necessity  of  preserv- 
ing a  correct  record  of  all  the  stores  we  received.  This 
he  did,  and  handed  me  the  list  at  Yakutsk. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Nicolai  Chagra,  the  sta- 
rosti,  had  acted  meanly  in  foisting  upon  us  the  smallest 
fish  he  had,  whereas  the  other  natives,  notably  one  An- 
drouski,  had  always  been  liberal  in  their  allowances. 
And  I  had  determined  to  be  revenged  on  Nicolai  if  the 
chance  offered  ;  and  it  did.  The  payments  were  made 
in  his  hut,  where  we  were  quartered,  and  the  starosti 
produced  his  tallies,  which  agreed  with  my  memoranda ; 


NORTH  AGAIN.  295 

but  when  I  asked  him  if  his  fish  had  been  large  or  small, 
he  winced  a  little  and  said  "  Medium."  I  then  told  him 
to  procure  a  sample  for  the  espravnick  to  see  and  judge, 
and  he  brought  in  a  medium-sized  mucksoon,  which  was 
far  too  bulky  a  representative  of  the  kind  he  had  given 
us  ;  and  I  finally  selected  one  myself  which  I  believed  to 
be  a  fair  sample.  He  looked  very  much  confused  and 
discomfited,  and  while  his  neighbors  gathered  around, 
Epatchieff  rebuked  him,  saying  he  deserved  no  pay,  and, 
if  I  chose,  he  should  not  receive  any.  He  was  promised 
fine,  imprisonment,  the  knout,  and  kindred  attentions 
should  he  treat  strangers  as  badly  again,  and  if  I  would 
simply  say  the  word  he  should  be  punished  then.  Nicolai 
had  no  defense  to  make,  other  than  that  fish  was  scarce, 
we  were  a  large  party,  etc. ;  but  I  counted  his  score  and 
paid  over  the  exact  amount  due  him,  whereupon  he  re- 
tired amid  the  jeers  and  laughter  of  his  neighbors. 

Mrs.  Nicolai  was  then  led  to  the  front,  and  presented 
with  needles  and  thread,  and  enough  calico  for  a  new 
gown.  She  was  also  assured  that  she  was  a  good  woman, 
and  had  done  well  by  the  strangers.  Androuski  came 
forward  with  his  bill,  which  tallied  exactly  with  my  ac- 
count, and  as  he  had  regularly  supplied  us  with  large 
fish,  and  usually  thrown  in  several  extra  ones,  all  the  na- 
tives were  agog  to  see  what  would  come  to  Androuski. 
I  doubled  his  score  and  paid  him  off,  while  the  rest 
shouted  their  approval.  And  so  I  settled  with  all ;  wher- 
ever I  found  an  inclination  to  cheat,  I  told  the  culprit  of 
it,  and  in  one  glaring  instance,  where  a  man  put  in  a 
claim  for  more  fish  than  he  had  supplied,  I  deducted  the 
overcharge  from  the  correct  amount,  and  paid  him  the 
balance.  Old  Spiridon,  the  pirate  of  the  Delta,  Mr. 
Danenhower's  much-trusted  pilot,  fared  very  badly.  His 
claim  was  entirely  rejected  by  Epatchieff,  who  likewise 
threatened  him  with  a  variety  of  penalties  for  his  ill- 
treatment  of  us.     He  was  very  penitent,  yet,  I  could  see, 


296  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

a  rascal  at  heart,  and  when  some  of  the  natives  taunted 
him  his  looks  plainly  showed  that  he  would  never  forget 
or  forgive  them.  To  complete  his  humiliation,  Epa- 
tchieff  deposed  him  from  office,  and  elevated  Vasilli  Kool 
Gar  to  the  high  station  of  starosti  in  his  village. 

Several  of  the  Jamaveloch  ladies  who  had  fixed  our 
fire-place,  plastered  our  chimney,  and  had  done  a  num- 
ber of  kind  services  for  us,  such  as  repairing  our  boots, 
mittens,  clothing,  etc.,  received  each  a  present.  To  Mrs. 
Androuski  I  gave  calico  for  a  gown,  with  thimble,  needles, 
and  thread  to  make  it  up  ;  nor  did  I  forget  Iniguin's 
sweetheart,  the  one  whom  he  had  called  his  "  good  little 
old  woman,"  but  gave  her  some  small  articles,  saying 
through  Epatchieff  that  the  American  Tunguse  had  sent 
them  to  her  —  an  unexpected  remembrance  which  filled 
her  with  delight.  And  thus  did  we  mete  out  punishment 
and  reward  among  the  villagers. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

STORM-BOUND. 

Arctic  Weather.  —  Pedestrian  Difficulties.  —  Lost  in  the  Village.  — 
Outstripping  the  Typhoon.  —  Continuance  of  the  Same  Old  Gale. 
—  A  Yakut  Solution  of  a  Financial  Problem. —  Off  for  Arii.  — 
Chul-Boy-Hoy.  —  Golivar  Compass. —  Turkanach.  —  An  Afflicted 
Family.  —  Ordono. —  Qu  Vina.  —  At  Cass  Cai'ta.  —  Our  Pala- 
tial Quarters.  —  In  Distress.  —  Timely  Relief.  —  Together  at 
Last.  —  The  Art  of  Broiling  Steaks.  —  A  Reminiscence.  —  A 
Twenty-Pound  Drink.  —  Yakut  and  Tchuchee  Filthiness. 

To  economize  space  I  will  now  transcribe  from  my 
journal. 

February  2Qth.  —  Blowing  harder  than  ever,  and  I  do 
not  see  how  I  can  manage  to  get  away  in  such  weather. 
The  natives  cannot  endure  it,  and,  indeed,  refuse  to  try ; 
so  it  would  be  folly  for  me  to  venture  forth,  for  the  pres- 
ent, at  least. 

Vasilli  Kool  Gar  and  Nicolai  Chagra  returned  to-day 
baffled  in  an  attempt  to  reach  Ku  Mark  Surt.  They  are 
terribly  frozen  in  face,  hands,  and  feet.  A  young  Yakut 
also  arrived  from  Arii,  more  dead  than  alive,  having 
been  lost  in  the  storm  for  two  days.  He  seems  dazed, 
and  sits  crying  and  swaying  to  and  fro  in  a  corner  of  the 
hut,  without  strength  or  wit  to  tell  his  story.  A  yam- 
shick  has  come  into  the  village  seeking  relief  for  a  young 
Russian  copert  who  lost  his  way  on  Borkhia  Bay  to  the 
east  of  Jamaveloch,  and  is  now  in  a  povarnia  to  the 
southeast  of  us.  He  and  his  yamshick  ate  all  their  pro- 
visions and  afterwards  their  dogs.     Then  he  cached  his 


298  IN  THE   LENA   DELTA. 

stores  in  the  ice  and  snow  of  the  bay,  and  reaching  a  hut, 
dispatched  his  yamshick  on  foot  to  the  village  for  succor. 
The  latter  is  unable  to  stir  about,  but  knows  the  name 
of  the  hut  (Ka-ra-oo-aloch)  where  his  master  is ;  and  a 
huge,  tall,  wild-looking  Tunguse,  whom  I  have  engaged 
as  dog-driver  on  my  eastern  search  across  the  Bay  of 
Borkhia  and  on  the  mouth  of  the  Jana  River,  has  gone 
to  his  rescue,  no  one  else  caring  to  go.  The  coperts  in 
this  region  carry  very  little  food,  in  order  that  they  may 
transport  the  more  goods  for  traffic,  and  many  of  them 
are  consequently  weather-bound  and  lost.  I  bought  one 
thousand  fish  from  Kusma,  and  about  nine  o'clock  in  the 
evening  it  so  cleared  that  in  less  than  an  hour  I  man- 
aged to  start  the  dog-teams  toward  Ku  Mark  Surt,  with 
one  hundred  and  fifty  fish  for  Bartlett. 

February  21th.  —  The  storm  rages  more  furiously,  if 
possible,  than  yesterday.  I  hope  the  teams  which  set 
out  last  night  succeeded  in  crossing  the  mountain  range ; 
but  from  present  appearances  it  is  doubtful  to  me  if  I 
shall  be  able  to  begin  operations  for  a  month  to  come. 

I  have  contracted  for  the  hire  of  three  teams  of  fifteen 
dogs  each  from  Bukoff,  harness  and  sleds  included,  for 
which  I  pay  fifteen  roubles  per  month  and  feed  the  dogs. 
Each  yamshick  receives  twenty  roubles  per  month  and 
feed,  which  comprises  fish,  tea,  and  tobacco.  Teams 
and  drivers  are  to  go  wherever  I  direct  them,  and-  to 
haul  our  provisions  when  not  otherwise  engaged  ;  but 
many  of  the  fish  I  shall  have  to  transport  at  road  rates  — 
of  one  hundred  to  a  load,  and  three  copecks  per  verst.  I 
completed  my  fish  purchases  to-day,  having  bargained 
and  paid,  as  is  the  custom  here,  for  5,150  for  our  central 
station  at  Mat  Vay.  I  will  haul  away  the  fish  as  I  need 
them  ;  leaving  3,000,  however,  at  Jamaveloch,  for  use  at 
this  end  of  the  line. 

I  find  that  a  number  of  the  natives  abandon  Bukoff  on 
account  of  the  floods,  though  many  of  them  live  here 


STORM-BOUND.  299 

throughout  the  year.  Still  it  blow's  a  living  gale.  No 
one  willingly  forsakes  the  shelter  of  his  hut,  and  those 
unfortunates  who  are  forced  to  expose  themselves  to  the 
pitiless  weather  must  either  cling  to  some  support  or  sit 
down.  There  is  no  compromise.  An  old  native  started 
from  our  hut  to  reach  another  not  more  than  one  hun- 
dred yards  distant.  So  blinding  was  the  snow,  and  so 
fierce  the  wind,  which  lifted  and  whirled  him  around, 
that  he  lost  his  head,  and  consequently  his  way.  I  do 
not  know  how  the  alarm  was  given  ;  but  in  a  few  seconds 
all  the  men  were  getting  into  their  boots  and  furs,  the 
women  assisting  and  urging  them  to  make  haste.  With 
old  Nicolai  at  their  head  they  set  forth  on  the  search, 
and  I  followed  to  watch  their  actions.  Noting  the  direc- 
tion of  the  wind  and  their  present  location,  they  all  sat 
squarely  down  on  the  snow,  and  then  crawled  away  be- 
fore the  wind,  shouting  vigorously  for  the  lost  one ;  and 
they  found  him  but  a  little  distance  off  under  the  lee  of 
a  store-house,  crying  aloud  for  help. 

I  have  never  seen  such  tempestuous  weather  as  this, 
either  in  the  Arctic  or  elsewhere.  I  am  anxious  to  see 
it  blow  itself  out,  and  give  me  a  chance  to  get  under 
way.  The  winds  are,  and  have  been  all  winter,  mostly 
from  south  by  west  to  south  southwest,  and  at  times  from 
south  to  southwest,  all  the  heavy  gales  proceeding  from 
that  quarter,  —  while  occasionally  the  wind  is  variable, 
and  blows  from  all  points  of  the  compass.  And  yet  how 
still  it  was  to  the  southward  of  the  mountain  divide  ! 

When  our  sleds  struck  the  trunk  of  a  tree  we  were 
buried  beneath  an  avalanche  of  snow.  Here  the  tundra 
and  high  table-lands  are  swept  clean  by  the  gales,  and 
the  valleys  and  gulches  are  gorged  with  snow.  This 
delay  is  intolerable ;  for  I  am  eager  and  impatient  to 
survey  the  territory  where  my  comrades  are. 

February  28th.  —  An  exile  ventured  forth  last  even- 
ing to  pay  a  visit,  and  lost  his  way.     He  managed  to 


300  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

wander  to  the  windward  of  the  village  and  of  Nieolai's 
hut.  Some  of  the  people  heard  his  cries,  and  after  a 
half  hour's  hunt  found  him,  where  he  had  dug  and 
crawled  into  a  hole  in  the  snow,  which  banked  up  at  his 
back  and  kept  him  warm.  Besides,  he  had  on  his  long 
deer-skin  cooly-tang  or  parley,  and  would  doubtless  have 
survived  the  night  and  been  rescued.  This  was  old  Sim- 
eon Alexoff,  a  Russian  exile,  and  his  adventure  fright- 
ened him  badly. 

Towards  morning  the  gale  calmed,  and  the  natives 
busied  themselves  in  cleaning  up  their  outside  surround- 
ings and  hauling  wood  and  ice  for  another  siege  of 
weather.  I  took  advantage  of  the  lull  to  dispatch  two 
dog-teams  with  two  hundred  fish  to  Mat  Vay  or  Cass 
Carta,  as  opportunity  offered,  and  thence  to  Bartlett's 
assistance  at  Ku  Mark  Suit.  An  exile  arrived  here  to- 
day from  Upper  Belun.  He  has  been  five  days  on  the 
road,  and  had  the  wind  behind  him  all  the  way.  He 
says  that  La  Kentie  Shamoola  has  gone  to  Ku  Mark  Surt, 
and  may  carry  Bartlett  through,  or  come  over  to  Bukoff 
for  orders  from  Epatchieff. 

The  weather  to-day  and  this  evening  is  the  best  we 
have  had  for  weeks.  The  natives  have  lost  nearly  a 
month's  fishing,  and  are  hard  pressed  for  wood  and 
water,  as  they  have  an  antipathy  against  using  snow ; 
and  although  they  have  plenty  of  fish  for  the  present,  yet 
a  large  part  of  their  catch  must  be  sold  for  cash  to  pro- 
cure tea,  salt,  and  tobacco,  and  to  pay  their  taxes.  I  find 
that  the  cost  of  transporting  fish  is  greater  here  than 
their  price.  I  tried  in  vain  to  buy  them  delivered  at 
Mat  Vay,  but  it  was  too  abstruse  a  calculation  for  the 
Yakut  brain  ;  they  have  always  sold  their  fish  at  Bukoff, 
and  separately  engaged  to  haul  them  at  three  copecks 
per  verst ;  that  is  all  they  know  about  it,  and  all  they 
will  do  about  it.  I  heard  to-day  that  there  is  a  famine 
at  Oceansk  and  the  Omalai,  and  a  great  scarcity  of  food 


STORM-BOUND.  301 

at  Upper  or  North  Belun.  Epatchieff  advises  me  to  buy 
up  all  the  fish  I  may  need,  as  he  thinks  after  April  1st  I 
shall  not  be  able  to  buy  any  at  all.  Were  I  sure  of  the 
salt  and  dried  beef  from  Verkeransk,  I  could  do  with  less 
fish,  but  I  am  not,  and  cannot  rely  upon  an  uncertainty 
like  this,  when  I  shall  have  twelve  or  more  persons  to 
feed,  beside  three  dog-teams  for  the  search,  and  probably 
five  other  teams  for  hauling  fish,  and  various  purposes ; 
and  the  transportation  of  food  by  these  Yakuts  is  such 
a  slow  process  that  I  may  have  to  attend  to  it  myself. 
The  native  cannot  induce  himself  to  go  in  a  hurry  and 
keep  going  —  they  all  "  go  as  they  please,"  halting  at 
huts,  povarnias,  and  villages,  as  the  spirit  moves  them. 
Yet  if  I  can  succeed  in  separating  them  from  their  huts 
and  women,  I  will  drive  them  and  their  dogs  too. 

During  the  month  of  May  it  will  be  perilous  to  work 
on  any  part  of  the  Delta.  The  inhabitants  here  say 
that  at  times  when  an  ice-dam  breaks  a  vertical  wall  and 
flood  of  water  will  rush  down  the  river  for  miles  at  the 
speed  of  a  race-horse,  carrying  everything  before  it,  until 
it  vanishes  in  the  many  outlets  and  seeks  the  sea.  This 
is  repeated  again  and  again,  until  the  southern  flood- 
waters  have  swept  away  the  northern  ice-gorges,  and  the 
river  is  free  to  flow. 

The  weather  changed  once  more.  It  was  snowing  si- 
lently and  slowly,  but  by  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening 
the  wind  blew  mightily  as  ever. 

March  1st,  1882.  —  At  early  daylight  there  came  an- 
other calm  ;  but  it  was  very  evanescent,  and  by  eleven 
A.  M.  the  storm  had  resumed  its  sway.  The  wind  seizes 
sleds  or- any  other  exposed  object  and  hurls  them  across 
the  bay  ;  so  I  do  not  wonder,  as  I  used  to,  why  the  na- 
tives stake  fast  their  empty  sleds  to  the  ground. 

This  morning,  while  the  weather  was  still  fine,  two  na- 
tives, who  have  come  here  from  Belun  to  fish,  went  out 
to  haul  their  nets.     Shortly  after  their  departure  the 


302  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

wind  arose,  and  at  three  P.  M.,  when  they  had  failed  to 
put  in  an  appearance,  the  villagers  set  forth  to  look  them 
up.  These  poor  devils  have  a  hard  time  of  it ;  starvation 
on  the  one  hand,  and  danger  of  death  from  cold  or  ex- 
posure on  the  other.  I  have  now  been  here  four  days, 
and  during  that  time  four  men  have  been  rescued  in  this 
village  alone.  Another  Russian  copert,  Sennikoff,  was 
"  jacksoned"  by  the  storm  for  thirty-five  clays  at  Turka- 
nach.  He  and  his  two  drivers  had  food  enough  to  see 
them  through,  but  the  dogs  had  nothing;  so  they  killed  a 
dog  a  day  for  the  other  animals  to  eat,  and  finally  started 
a  driver  with  a  team  of  six  dogs  to  Bukoff  Moose,  seventy 
versts  distant,  where  relief  was  procured. 

The  wind  still  blows  at  such  a  rate  that  neither  man 
nor  dog  can  face  it,  but  must  needs  crawl  into  any  avail- 
able hole  for  shelter.  I  stepped  outside  to-day  simply 
to  experiment,  and  see  if  it  were  possible  to  stand  up  or 
hold  to  the  hut.  I  could  actually  discern  nothing  for  the 
blinding  fury  of  the  storm,  for  the  wild  rushing  air  was 
opaque  with  snow  and  fine  particles  of  ice.  I  lost  my 
grip  on  the  door-jamb,  and  with  difficulty  crawled  back  on 
my  hands  and  knees  to  the  top  of  the  snow-steps,  down 
which  I  took  a  header  and  rolled  into  the  hut.  The  na- 
tives will  not  allow  any  of  us  to  go  out  alone,  but  insist 
upon  sending  one  of  their  number  to  keep  us  company. 
I  have  seen  a  typhoon  blowing  in  Japan,  when  the  ane- 
mometers on  three  ships  registered  ninety-nine,  one  hun- 
dred and  one,  and  one  hundred  and  three  miles  per  hour 
respectively  ;  when  weak  buildings  were  demolished,  ves- 
sels at  anchor  dragged  along,  and  jin-rick-shas  turned 
over  like  willow  baskets,  —  yet  I  was  not  carried  off  my 
feet,  nor  was  the  typhoon  in  its  most  furious  mood  a  cir- 
cumstance to  this  irresistible  boreal  blast.  Thunder  and 
lightning  are  entirely  unknown  in  the  Arctic  Ocean. 
Towards  the  pole  the  aurora  is  the  only  form  in  which 
the  presence  of  electricity  in  the  atmosphere  is  displayed  ; 


STORM-BOUND.  303 

and  the  question  arises,  Why  the  aurora,  instead  of  the 
discharges  of  light,  attended  by  thunder-claps,  seen  at 
the  equator? 

To  bring  about  the  usual  atmospheric  phenomena  heat 
must  be  applied  or  extracted.  Perhaps,  then,  the  want 
of  heat  in  the  polar  regions  may  account  for  the  absence 
of  thunder  and  lightning,  —  or  can  it  be  that  the  im- 
mense blanket  or  non-conductor  of  ice  and  snow  prevents 
the  discharge  of  the  electric  current  ?  So  that,  if  a  cer- 
tain degree  of  heat  were  introduced,  the  aurora  would 
burst  forth  into  vivid  flashes  ? 

March  2d.  —  An  aggravated  continuance  of  the  same 
old  gale.  The  snow  has  closed  up  the  weather-door  of 
our  hut  for  twenty-four  hours,  and  no  one  has  had  the 
temerity  to  expose  his  head  to  the  outer  air.  I  now  de- 
spair of  doing  aught  but  abiding  a  change  of  weather. 
One  blessing  has  been  vouchsafed  to  us  —  there  are  no 
children  in  the  hut ;  though  Madam  Nicolai  persists  in 
lavishing  her  motherly  affection  upon  her  son  Abonasshi, 
a  full-grown  young  man,  borne  by  her  to  her  first  husband. 
She  takes  him  on  her  lap,  and  hugs  and  loves  him,  and 
wipes  his  nose,  and  cares  for  him  as  though  he  were  four 
years  old.  Abonasshi  is  a  good  boy,  and  assists  his 
mother  in  carrying  wood,  ice,  etc.  Upon  madam  de- 
volves the  duty  of  training  the  young  dogs,  and  during 
four  or  five  hours  of  each  day  she  has  half  a  dozen  of 
puppies  marshaled  in  front  of  her,  each  one  with  a 
thong  around  his  neck  attached  to  a  stick  from  twelve 
to  sixteen  inches  long,  which,  in  turn,  is  lashed  to  the 
edge  of  the  low-down  berth  or  bench.  The  effect  of  this 
arrangement  is  that  the  dog  is  kept  constantly  pushing 
forward ;  for  if  he  attempts  backsliding,  the  stick  is 
thrust  into  his  neck  and  reminds  him  of  the  folly  of  such 
a  course.  The  house-dog  is  usually  employed  in  cleans- 
ing the  children  ;  and  I  had  rather  sleep  in  a  snow-bank 
than  in  a  hut  full  of  small  progeny. 


304  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

La  Kentie  Sbamoola  should  have  been  here  days  ago 
to  carry  us  up  to  Cass  Carta,  but  he  is  doubtless  storm- 
bound at  Ku  Mark  Surt,  or  a  povarnia,  en  route.  I  have 
dogs  enough  for  our  transportation  to  Cass  Carta  or  Mat 
Vay,  but  there  is  no  man  in  the  village  acquainted  with 
the  road  ;  and  then,  too,  it  may  be  necessary  for  us  to 
carry  a  large  supply  of  fish  for  a  long  siege  of  bad  weather, 
and  I  must  wait  here  for  more  dog-teams  and  guides. 
Our  venison  and  bread  have  given  out,  but  with  plenty 
of  fish  and  salt  we  are  much  better  off  than  when  here 
five  months  ago.  The  natives,  who  live  for  months  with- 
out a  taste  of  bread,  begged  hard  for  some,  and  I  was  a 
little  lavish  with  it,  considerably  more  so  than  I  would 
have  been  had  I  known  the  length  of  our  detention  here. 
Kusma  besought  me  for  just  a  little  for  his  supper,  and  I 
gave  him  enough  for  a  dozen  suppers. 

Yapheme  Copaloff,  the  "  Red  Fiend,"  is  quartered  at 
Nicolai's  hut,  living  in  a  corner  and  sleeping  on  the  floor. 
Upon  our  arrival  he  immediately  installed  himself  as 
major-domo  for  Epatchieff,  Captain  Gronbeck,  and  my- 
self. He  implored  me  to  take  him  into  my  service  as  a 
general  hand,  which  I  at  length  consented  to  do  at  a 
salary  of  fifteen  roubles  per  month.  He  attends  to  all 
our  wants,  cooking  our  fish  and  tea,  and  making  himself 
very  useful  indeed.  [So  I  took  him  with  me  to  the 
northwest,  then  back  again  to  Bukoff  Moose,  and  finally, 
with  General  Tschernaieff's  permission,  to  Yakutsk,  where 
he  ran  headlong  into  trouble,  and  consequently  into  the 
calaboose.]  I  am  worried  most  about  Bartlett  and  com- 
pany, for  they  are  on  the  border  of  a  perfectly  barren 
region  ;  albeit  there  is  a  good-sized  village  about  seventy 
versts  to  the  west  of  them,  where  Tomat  Constantine 
may  procure  provisions. 

March  3d.  —  The  dog-teams,  which  I  started  towards 
Ku  Mark  Surt,  returned  to-day,  having  failed  in  their  at- 
tempt to  reach  that  point.     They  succeeded  in  arriving 


STORM-BOUND.  305 

at  the  first  povarnia,  forty  versts  distant  from  Jamave- 
loch,  but  on  the  road  to  Tas  Arii  they  became  lost,  and 
had  a  terrible  experience.  Four  of  their  dogs  died,  some 
were  cut  adrift,  and  others  were  brought  back  in  a  help- 
less condition  on  the  sleds.  Spiridon's  leader,  a  young 
and  well-broken  dog,  valued  at  seventy-five  roubles,  is 
among  the  lost,  and  the  old  fellow  is  inconsolable.  The 
natives  are  in  a  pitiable  plight,  frozen  terribly  in  face, 
hands,  and  feet.  They  lost  their  way  both  going  and 
coming,  and  I  shall  scarcely  be  able  to  persuade  them  to 
dare  the  weather  again  until  it  has  fairly  settled.  Two 
of  the  teams  have  not  yet  returned,  but  those  that  have 
report  them  as  safely  progressing.  By  this  miscarriage, 
Bartlett  and  company  are  detained  at  Ku  Mart  Surt,  and 
we  are  involved  in  more  expense  and  delay. 

I  now  fear  that  the  teams  I  sent  to  Mat  Vay  will  also 
return  defeated.  It  is  the  devil's  own  job  to  secure 
transportation  here, — the  much-vaunted  dog  and  deer- 
teams  being  very  insufficient ;  yet  I  cannot  expect  better 
means  of  conveyance  in  such  a  wild  country.  The  deer- 
teams  which  brought  us  to  Jamaveloch  left  to-day  for 
Ku  Mark  Surt.  They  could  not  carry  any  fish  for  me, 
but  promised  to  give  Bartlett  sixty  of  their  own,  which 
will  be  returned  to  them  from  the  one  hundred  and  fifty 
which  I  am  and  have  been  trying  to  get  through  to  him. 
I  dare  say  that  some  of  the  cabinet  Arctic  travelers  and 
critics  who  have  been  within  three  thousand  miles  of  this 
place  will  wonder  why  the  blank  fool  didn't  do  some- 
thing — if  only  they  had  been  there  —  Ah  !  —  Yes,  I  war- 
rant if  they  were  the  nucleus  of  their  trousers  would  be 
nigh  touching  the  ground  !  One  hundred  fish,  it  will  be 
remembered,  constitutes  a  load,  as  fish  for  the  dogs  and 
drivers  going  and  coming  must  also  be  carried ;  though 
this  burden  is  partially  relieved  by  deposits  made  in  the 
snow  along  the  road. 

The  day  was  comparatively  fine,  but  the  wind  cut  like 
a  knife. 


306  IN  THE  LENA  DELTA. 

March  4th.  —  Our  few  hours  of  good  weather  came 
and  went  like  a  flash  of  the  sun  from  behind  a  cloud.  It 
is  blowing  again  with,  if  anything,  augmented  velocity. 
I  have  walked  three  hundred  yards  to  windward,  while 
with  the  Jeannette,  to  read  the  instruments,  and  without 
experiencing  any  serious  inconvenience  ;  but  I  cannot 
even  stand  up  against  this  ferocious  tornado,  which  sur- 
passes anything  in  the  way  of  weather  I  have  ever  seen. 
One  of  the  returned  natives  called  upon  me  to-day,  and 
told  a  pitiful  story  of  his  wanderings  and  sufferings.  The 
poor  fellow's  face  and  hands  evidence  how  cruelly  Jack 
Frost  can  bite.  His  cheek-bones  are  two  raw  spots  as  large 
as  silver  dollars,  and  his  nose  resembles  a  pickled  beet. 
He  does  not  wish  to  carry  more  fish  until  spring  time, 
and  I  don't  blame  him.  One  of  the  dogs  turned  loose 
found  his  way  back  to  the  village  last  night,  and  died. 
This  swells  the  loss  of  the  natives  considerably,  for  be- 
sides the  pain  and  misery  they  underwent,  it  was  all  for 
nothing,  since  they  must  deliver  the  fish  according  to  con- 
tract or  receive  no  pay.  We  are  now  down  to  our  last 
loaves,  and  boiled  fish  is  our  daily  fare  —  very  excellent 
when  one  can  get  no  other. 

I  witnessed  to-day  a  division  of  the  profits  of  a  team 
of  eleven  dogs  among  three  natives,  who  owned  respect- 
ively three,  five,  and  six  of  the  dogs.  But  the  one  with 
the  smallest  number  of  animals  in  the  team  had  contrib- 
uted his  services  as  driver,  while  the  owner  of  five  had 
supplied  the  dog-feed.  Here,  then,  was  a  financial  prob- 
lem of  no  little  intricacy  to  the  natives,  and  this  is  how 
they  solved  it.  First,  by  placing  as  many  small  sticks  in 
the  centre  of  the  table  as  there  were  dogs  (eleven),  to 
which  the  driver  added  three  more  for  himself.  They 
then  drew  from  the  money-pot  copecks  as  per  sticks,  and 
when  all  the  earnings  were  exhausted  each  settled  with 
the  man  who  had  furnished  the  dog-feed  for  his  quota, 
according  to  the  composition  of  the  team,  three,  five, 
and  six. 


STORM-BOUND.  307 

March  5th.  —  The  wind  has  veered  around  to  the  east- 
ward, doubtless  a  change  for  the  better.  Vasilli  Kool 
Gar  came  over  from  Arii,  bringing  with  hirn  three  men 
from  Long  Island,  near  the  Alanek,  and  a  guide  for  the 
Omalai.  The  former  will  act  as  drivers  and  guides  to 
the  Alanek  should  I  require  their  services,  and  the  latter, 
a  Tunguse,  I  can  find  here  whenever  I  want  him. 

The  two  teams  I  started  off  with  fish  for  Mat  Vay  have 
evidently  pushed  through,  since  they  have  not  returned 
to  Arii;  and  so  I  can  hope  that  they  are  now  on  the 
road  to  Ku  Mark  Suvt.  The  other  teams  are  still  here, 
but  if  the  wind  holds  from  the  east  and  on  their  backs, 
they  will  make  a  second  attempt.  We  are  miserably 
located  here  —  the  Yakuts  and  my  party  of  three  quar- 
tered in  a  hut  twenty  feet  square.  The  sights  !  and  the 
odors ! !  .  .  .  Still  we  are  sheltered,  which  is  a  blessed 
comfort  just  now;  and  have  tea  and  boiled  fish  every 
day,  which  altogether  is  quite  enough. 

If  the  weather  continues  as  it  is,  we  must  face  the 
music  ourselves.  I  have  five  dog- teams  ready  for  our 
transportation  to  Cass  Carta,  but  besides  the  fish  for  the 
dogs  I  can  only  carry  fifty  for  the  use  of  my  party.  The 
wind  is  slowly  calming  down,  and  the  natives  are  about 
to  feed  their  dogs,  with  the  intention  of  starting  for  Ku 
Mark  Surt  in  the  morning.  This  is  the  chief  cause  of 
delays  ;  the  natives  refrain  from  feeding  their  dogs  until 
the  weather  clears,  and  then  twelve  hours  afterward  they 
set  forth,  providing  the  weather  has  not  changed.  But 
in  the  mean  time  they  have  lost  twelve  good  hours,  while 
the  dogs  are  digesting  their  food,  and  if  the  storm  comes 
on  again  there  is  a  depletion  of  the  Yakut  fish  pile,  a 
repletion  of  the  dogs,  and  a  senseless  delay. 

March  6th.  —  Light  easterly  breeze  this  morning,  with 
snow.  The  drivers  proposed  to  go  as  far  as  the  balogan 
of  Spiridon  at  Arii,  ten  versts  to  the  northward;  and 
finally  getting  under  way  by  11.20  A.  M.,  we  made  the 
journey,  the  day  growing  brighter  but  colder. 


308  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

The  yanishicks  insist  upon  tarrying  here  over  night  to 
feed  the  clogs,  and  then  make  an  early  start  to-morrow 
for  Chul-Boy-Hoy,  seventy  versts  distant,  which  they 
hope  to  reach  by  daylight.  There  are  a  number  of 
natives  at  Arii,  from  North  Belun,  who  have  come,  in 
answer  to  a  summons  from  the  espravnick,  to  assist  me 
in  hauling  the  fish,  etc.  They  report  a  famine  at  North 
Belun ;  and  their  frost-bitten  bodies  testify  to  the  terrible 
suffering  they  underwent  on  their  journey  ;  all  having 
been  caught  by  the  storm  away  from  povarnias. 

We  are  stopping  at  the  hut  of  old  Spiridon  ;  and  stroll- 
ing about  the  village  I  saw  the  wife  and  grandchildren 
of  Vasilli  Kool  Gar,  to  whom  I  gave  some  tea.  There 
were  large  quantities  of  fish  stored  here,  but  all  have 
been  sold  to  the  coperts.  I  suffered  severely  in  my  feet 
to-day,  during  our  short  run  of  an  hour,  owing  to  my 
damp  socks;  for  I  had  worn  my  deer-skin  stockings  in 
the  house  several  hours  before  starting,  and  as  a  con- 
sequence they  so  froze  on  the  journey  that  when  we 
arrived  here  my  feet  were  blistered. 

March  1th.  —  My  party,  which  consists  of  Epatchieff, 
Captain  Gronbeck,  Yapheme,  myself,  and  five  dog-drivers, 
set  out  this  morning  about  seven  o'clock  from  Arii.  The 
drivers  said  it  was  seventy  versts  to  Chul-Boy-Hoy,  and 
laying  a  northwest  course  we  reached  that  place,  a  collec- 
tion of  three  tumble-down  huts,  about  two  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon. 

When  we  had  been  four  or  five  hours  on  the  road  I 
asked  Vasilli,  in  order  to  impress  the  course  on  my  mind 
and  afterwards  mark  it  on  the  chart,  how  far  and  in 
what  direction  was  Barkin.  The  distance,  he  said,  was 
forty  versts ;  and,  to  indicate  the  direction,  he  laid  his 
dog-stake  upon  the  snow  for  me  to  set  and  read  the  com- 
pass. The  natives  have  a  wonderful  sense  of  locality, 
and  in  sunlight,  moonlight,  or  the  darkest  night,  seem 
able  to  exercise  it  equally  well.     They  only  lose  their 


STORM-BOUND.  309 

way  when  the  snow  is  swirling  in  clouds  or  columns.  I 
have  many  times,  simply  to  test  their  ability,  asked  them 
to  show  me  the  sever  zaputh  (northwest),  or  some  other 
point  of  the  compass,  and  they  would  as  often  indicate 
the  required  direction  with  their  staves,  which,  first 
balancing  until  the  iron  point  was  fixed  to  their  satisfac- 
tion, they  would  finally  place  on  the  snow,  and  my  com- 
pass invariably  proved  their  calculations  to  be  correct. 

Old  Vasilli  delights  in  using  this  faculty  of  his.  He 
has  learned  the  word  compass,  and  tapping  his  head  he 
laughingly  told  me  —  "  Grolivar  compass  "  (head  compass). 
And  when  I  inquired  of  him  the  direction  of  Barkin,  he 
pointed  his  stake  east  by  north  and  said,  byral  (sea). 
So  I  now  have  the  prominent  points  on  the  Delta  located 
as  definitely  as  possible  on  my  chart,  and  can  approxi- 
mately designate  the  situation  of  all  the  villages  and 
huts,  and  the  course  of  my  journey.  To  be  sure  there 
are  some  inaccuracies  ;  for  upon  asking  different  yam- 
shicks  how  far  it  was  to  certain  places,  they  have  an- 
swered, if  our  dogs  were  good,  "  Fifty  versts ; "  if  bad, 
"  Seventy,"  or  even  "Ninety  versts."  Yet  I  have  learned 
to  measure  distances  by  time  and  conditions  and  marked 
them  accordingly. 

March  8th.  —  Clear  and  cold,  when  we  renewed  our 
journey  at  nine  A.  M. 

To  the  southward  of  Chul-Boy-Hoy  runs  a  small  range 
of  detached  hills,  not  unlike  the  foot-hills  of  the  south- 
ern mountain  range.  They  are  from  five  to  ten  miles 
back  of  the  great  bay,  or  gooba,  and  though  the  weather 
was  clear,  yet  a  dense  haze,  which  the  Siberians  call  "the 
frozen  air,"  enveloped  and  obscured  them. 

We  passed  a  cold,  smoky,  and  miserable  night  in  the 
povarnia.  It  is  vastly  more  disagreeable  to  sleep  in  a 
hut  full  of  holes  than  in  a  snow-bank  or  on  a  sled  ;  for 
the  cold  winds  are  forced  through  the  chinks  like  blasts 
from  the  muzzle  of  a  bellows.     We  traveled  all  day  due 


310  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

west,  and  towards  two  P.  M.  approached  Turkanach, 
where  we  expected  to  spend  the  night.  As  we  drew  near, 
I  was  surprised  to  see  smoke  curling  up  from  one  of  the 
three  huts  forming  the  village.  Our  dogs  as  usual  dashed 
forwai-d  in  a  perfect  pandemonium  of  yells,  but  no  one 
came  out  from  the  hut  to  greet  us.  Then  Capiocan,  one 
of  our  yamshicks,  crawled  inside  on  his  hands  and  knees, 
but  reappeared  in  an  instant,  looking  wofully  frightened, 
and  muttering  something  about  "  pomree  "  and  "  pro- 
paldi,"  from  which  I  inferred  that  there  were  dead  or 
dying  people  within.  While  he  was  explaining  matters 
to  Epatchieff,  I  observed  issuing  from  the  hole  in  the 
hut  a  miserable  object  half  clad  in  an  old  deer-skin  blouse. 
It  was  wailing  and  groaning  dismally,  and  for  a  minute 
I  could  not  determine  whether.it  was  a  man  or  a  woman. 
Face  and  hands  were  swollen  and  covered  with  frost- 
sores,  and  the  stooped  and  limping  figure,  leaning  on  a 
long  staff,  bowing,  crossing,  and  beating  its  breast,  at 
length  cried  out  between  its  sobs  and  moans,  "  Drastie, 
drastie,  drastie  !  " 

It  was  a  man,  we  found,  and  "the  espravnick,  quieting 
him  down,  inquired  into  the  cause  of  his  lamentations. 
Thereupon  he  invited  us  into  the  hut,  with  the  assur- 
ance that  there  was  no  corpse  within,  for  among  the 
natives  no  person  is  permitted  to  enter  the  huts  of  the 
dead  save  the  kin  of  the  deceased,  and  even  they  Tire 
quaran tined  thereafter  for  thirty  days  from  the  rest  of 
the  community.  Crawling  into  the  hut,  we  found  it  oc- 
cupied by  six  natives,  —  a  grandfather  and  grandmother, 
their  married  son  and  his  wife,  and  two  children ;  a 
young  girl  of  fourteen  or  fifteen,  and  a  baby  several  years 
old.  Their  cries  were  heart-rending,  for  they  were  all 
crippled  from  frost-bite.  The  grandfather,  who  was 
partly  blind,  sat  in  a  corner  swaying  back  and  forth  ; 
while  his  aged  spouse,  barely  able  to  lift  her  head,  held 
the   baby  near  the  fire,  and   chafed    its  almost  lifeless 


STORM-BOUND.  311 

body.  The  mother,  her  head  covered  with  a  deer-skin 
coat,  sat  on  one  of  the  bed-places  and  shrieked  out  her 
agony  ;  and  the  young  girl,  with  her  arms  around  the 
neck  of  her  mother,  wept  convulsively. 

Presently  we  listened  to  the  sad  story  of  the  afflicted 
father,  who  told  us  that  a  famine  was  raging  in  the  west- 
ern section  of  the  Delta,  that  he  had  heard  there  was 
pleuty  of  fish  at  Bukoff  Moose,  and  that,  acting  upon 
this  rumor,  his  father  and  mother,  his  wife,  himself,  and 
their  five  children,  had  attempted  to  walk  from  Long 
Island,  at  the  western  discharge  cf  the  Lena,  to  Bukoff, — 
a  weak  team  of  five  dogs  carrying  their  household  goods. 
They  had  marched  through  the  furious  storm  for  eight 
days  and  nights,  repeatedly  losing  their  way ;  three  of 
their  children  had  died  of  cold  and  hunger,  and  were 
buried  close  by  in  a  snow-bank ;  after  which  they  had 
managed  at  length  to  crawl  into  this  hut,  where  they  had 
been  for  several  days  absolutely  without  any  food,  hav- 
ing lived  for  more  than  a  week  previous  on  the  rawhide 
and  untanned  portions  of  their  clothing  and  outfit.  They 
were  far  too  enfeebled  to  hunt  or  gather  wood,  so  they 
had  torn  down  and  burned  the  inside  of  the  hut.  And 
here  Capiocan  was  off  like  a  flash,  dumping  our  freight 
from  his  sled,  and  shortly  reappearing  with  a  load  of 
drift-wood.  Meanwhile  our  tea-kettle  was  boiling  for 
their  benefit,  and  keeping  scarcely  enough  fish  to  see  my 
party  through  to  Cass  Carta,  I  had  the  rest  buried  in  the 
bank  near  the  hut  for  the  use  of  the  wretched  family.  I 
also  gave  them  a  cake  of  tea,  and  told  them  to  stay  where 
they  were  until  my  teams,  returning  to  Bukoff  for  fish, 
could  carry  them  to  Arii,  whither  they  were  bound.  Of 
course  they  were  almost  overcome  with  joy.  And  I  find 
that  the  lives  of  these  poor  people  are  only  a  succession 
of  such  distresses  and  rescues,  as  they  journey  from  place 
to  place  seeking  the  bare  necessaries  of  existence,  which 
they  do  not  always  find. 


312  IN  THE  LENA    DELTA. 

When  we  had  thus  somewhat  alleviated  their  misery, 
we  were  obliged  to  push  on  to  the  next  povarnia,  there 
being  a  great  number  in  this  district,  since  in  summer 
it  is  thickly  populated.  As  we  ran  along  to-day,  old 
Vasilli  pointed  northward  and  said,  "  Borkhia ! "  not 
meaning  the  great  cape  which  bears  that  name,  but  Lit- 
tle Borkhia,  the  point  at  which  I  chanced  upon  the  three 
natives  in  their  canoes.  Vasilli  told  the  espravnick  all 
about  our  meeting,  and  how  he  had  piloted  us  around  to 
Jamaveloch.  And  here  I  am  coasting  over  the  same 
course  which  I  was  dissuaded  from  following  last  fall. 
Yet  whether  I  would  then  have  pulled  through  —  per- 
haps have  met  my  comrades  of  the  first  cutter  —  quien 
sabe  ? 

We  hauled  up  at  Ordono  at  three  P.  M.,  and  will  stop 
here  over  night.  Vasilli  says  Mat  Vay  is  fifty  versts  to 
the  southwest,  or  west  southwest,  and  Qu  Vina  is  fifty 
versts  to  the  northwest;  so  I  will  next  proceed  to  the  lat- 
ter place,  as  it  is  only  a  short  distance  from  Cass  Carta. 
The  question  now  arises,  —  Where  is  Bartlett  and  the  pro- 
vision train  ?  The  natives  told  me  to-day  that  the  two 
teams  which  I  dispatched  to  Mat  Vay  with  fish  halted 
on  account  of  the  weather  at  every  available  point  along 
the  road,  and  ate  half  of  Bartlett's  fish  before  they 
reached  Mat  Vay,  and  then  were  forced  to  take  the  other 
half  with  them  on  their  journey  to  Ku  Mark  Surt.  This 
is  dolorous  news,  indeed ;  for  if  Bartlett  is  delayed  in 
transporting  the  provisions,  my  party  will  be  short  of 
food.  We  have  nothing  to  eat  but  tea  and  fish,  and  of 
these  only  a  couple  of  days'  supplies. 

March  9th. —  A  good  night's  rest  in  the  povarnia  of 
Ordono.  Last  night  we  were  only  cold,  the  night  be- 
fore we  were  frozen.  Making  an  early  start,  we  ran  a 
northwest  course,  passing  about  four  versts  to  the  north 
of  Qu  Vina,  which  was  plainly  in  sight,  for  the  natives 
wished  to  reach  Cass  Carta,  and  I  had  no  desire  to  check 


STORM-BOUND.  313 

their  laudable  ambition.  So  here  we  are  quartered  in 
two  povarnias,  miserable  holes,  and  two  palatkas,  which 
will  answer  very  well  as  magazines  for  fish,  etc. 

The  day  has  been  clear  and  cold,  with  a  light  breeze 
blowing  from  the  southeast.  When  we  were  about  two 
miles  northwest  from  Ordono,  we  passed  a  high  island 
which  is  sometimes  mistaken  for  Stolboi.  Our  course 
lay  so  far  to  the  north  that  we  did  not  see  Stolboi,  and 
then,  too,  the  snow  was  drifting  so  heavily  that  the 
southerly  mountain  range  was  hid  from  view. 

March  10th.  —  At  Cass  Carta.  Our  hut  is  palatial, 
particularly  in  its  dimensions  —  ten  feet  square,  and  four 
feet  high.  It  has  no  chimney  and  no  door.  We  put  a 
deer-skin  over  the  smoke-hole,  and  will  make  a  door  to- 
morrow. The  smoke  from  the  fire  in  the  centre  of  our 
residence  is  blinding.  Our  faces  burn,  our  feet  freeze. 
We  are  miserable,  believe  me. 

Here  is  an  inventory  of  our  larder:  ten  fish,  no  tea, 
sugar,  salt,  or  bread.  I  dispatched  one  dog-team  to  North 
Belun  for  La  Kentie  Shamoola,  and  all  the  dogs  in  the 
village ;  and  Epatchieff  issued  an  order  calling  upon  the 
natives  throughout  the  Delta  to  send  all  of  their  dogs 
here.  I  expect  two  hundred  fish  to-morrow,  if  the  teams 
follow  me  up  as  I  directed  ;  and  if  we  are  to  stay  in 
this  hut  I  must  devise  a  chimney  of  some  kind,  or  else 
smother  to  death. 

March  11th. — We  are  out  of  fish  — out  of  all  food,  and 
have  absolutely  nothing  to  eat.  If  our  provisions  do  not 
arrive  in  good  time,  I  will  send  Yapheme,  the  "  Red 
Fiend,"  to  Kigolak  or  North  Belun  for  help.  We  have 
no  dogs  left,  so  he  will  have  to  walk — not  a  very  great 
distance,  providing  he  does  not  lose  his  way. 

March  12th. —  Clear,  with  a  strong  cold  breeze  blowing 
from  the  south.  I  was  bent  upon  sending  Yapheme  to 
North  Belun  this  morning ;  so  I  got  him  ready,  loaned 
him  a  compass,  and  instructed  him  in  its  use.     He  has 


314  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

been  to  North  Belun,  but  went  over  the  road  in  company 
with  natives.  By  road  I  do  not  mean  a  trodden  path, 
but  the  unbeaten  track  between  two  places ;  and  Ya- 
pheme  may  or  may  not  be  able  to  recognize  the  land- 
marks. He  did  not  seem  very  anxious  to  go,  but  then 
what  were  we  to  do  ? 

Before  starting  him  off  we  all  ascended  to  the  top  of 
the  hut,  and  eagerly  scanned  the  great  waste  of  snow  to 
the  south  for  a  sign  of  succor.  We  looked  and  listened 
in  vain,  however ;  and  then  turned  our  eyes  towards 
North  Belun.  While  gazing  in  that  direction  I  fancied 
I  saw  a  crow  fly  over  a  bank  or  ridge  of  snow,  and  dis- 
appear in  a  ravine.  I  informed  my  companions  of  this, 
and  together  we  all  looked  intently  at  the  ravine  and 
waited  for  the  crow  to  soar  upwards.  Suddenly  a  dark 
object,  like  a  boa,  wriggled  out  of  the  hollow  and  crept 
towards  us.  It  was  a  dog-team  —  so  we  shouted  simul- 
taneously ;  and  watched  until  finally  we  could  hear  the 
yelp  of  the  dogs.  Relief  at  last ;  for  no  matter  about 
the  quantity,  if  any,  of  provisions  they  might  bring  us. 
We  would  have  the  means  at  least  to  procure  food ;  so 
we  crawled  inside  of  our  hut  and  warmed  ourselves  ;  and 
presently  went  out  again  to  see  how  close  the  teams  had 
approached. 

Then,  much  to  our  surprise  and  delight,  we  detected 
the  baying  of  dogs  far  to  the  eastward,  and  in  a  little 
while  caught  sight  of  the  provision  train  wending  its 
way  across  the  snow ;  now  in  full  view,  now  swiftly  dis- 
appearing only  to  mount  and  show  itself  against  the 
whitened  hillocks. 

The  teams  from  North  Belun  arrived  first.  There  are 
five,  driven  by  my  old  friends,  La  Kentie  Shamoola, 
Geordi  Nicolai,  Starry  Nicolai,  Young  Kerick,  and  Starry 
Kerick.  The  last-named  was  in  possession  of  a  saddle 
of  venison  which  I  at  once  bought,  and  ordered  part  of  it 
to  be  cooked  for  ourselves  and  coming  party.    In  an  hour 


STORM-BOUND.  315 

or  so  Bartlett  and  the  provision  train,  with  Nindeinann, 
Kolinkin,  Bubokoff,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Patnoggin,  and  five 
dog-drivers,  reached  us,  all  more  or  less  scarified  on  face 
and  hands  by  the  cold,  but  nevertheless  jolly  and  hungry. 
As  the  deer  could  not  be  driven  along  because  of  the 
dogs,  Bartlett  killed  as  many  as  he  could  carry;  and  Va- 
silli  Kool  Gar  and  son  having  arrived  a  short  time  ago 
with  two  loads  of  fish,  we  have  now  an  abundance  of 
food.  I  have  also  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  yelping 
dogs  staked  all  around  me,  and  twenty  people  to  feed. 
Geordi  Nicolai  and  La  Kentie  Shamoola  I  have  engaged 
as  dog-drivers,  and  have  three  good  teams  selected  for 
use  ;  but  with  one  of  these  I  will  have  to  send  Yapheme 
and  Tomat  Constantine  to  Ku  Mart  Surt  to  bring  for- 
ward the  balance  of  our  deer.  Bartlett  was  compelled  to 
leave  the  bread  behind,  and  I  have  already  dispatched 
teams  for  it.  The  fish  I  sent  to  Mat  Vay  were  all  eaten 
en  route  by  the  natives  and  dogs,  so  I  will  send  for  more 
for  our  use  while  prosecuting  the  search,  and  for  the 
teams  journeying  between  here  and  Belun.  Bartlett 
lost  one  hundred  and  twenty  pounds  of  loaf  sugar,  but 
hopes  it  will  be  recovered,  as  he  at  once  set  the  party, 
from  whose  sled  it  was  misse'd,  to  finding  it,  under  pen- 
alty of  punishment ;  for  this  is  a  trick  which  the  yam- 
shicks  do  not  hesitate  to  practice  on  the  unwary.  Ko- 
linkin likewise  lost  his  clothing. 

Bartlett,  obedient  to  his  orders,  started  on  time,  and 
against  the  combined  protests  of  the  natives,  the  starosti, 
and  the  Cossack  commandant.  It  was  storming  terri- 
bly, he  says,  when  they  set  out,  and  the  train  was  long 
and  heavy,  and  the  deer  barely  able  to  drag  themselves 
through  the  deep  snow.  By  the  usual  misadventures  in 
such  traveling,  Bartlett  forged  ahead  of  the  train  in- 
stead of  keeping  to  the  rear,  and  meanwhile  the  teams 
last  in  line  got  to  plunging  and  parting  their  halters, 
bolted  off  to  one  side,  dashed  up  a  bank,  and  took  to  the 


316  IN    THE  LENA   DELTA. 

woods,  upsetting  the  sleds  and  spilling  the  provisions  as 
they  ran.  As  soon  as  the  mishap  was  discovered,  a  team 
was  sent  in  pursuit  of  the  runaways,  which  were  found 
resting  on  the  snow,  tethered  fast  to  the  sled  that  had 
caught  in  the  thick  timber.  Gathering,  then,  the  rest 
of  their  teams  together,  they  sought  shelter  at  the  new 
abode  of  Kusma,  near  Ajaket,  and  next  day  starting  on 
again,  they  continued  their  journey  without  further  in- 
terruption to  Ku  Mark  Surt,  where  they  awaited  the 
coming  of  my  long -delayed  dog -teams.  They  passed 
more  than  one  night  in  the  snow,  Mrs.  Patnoggin  bur- 
rowing a  bed  in  nature's  white  fleece  along  with  the  rest. 
She  is  bright  and  merry,  and  can  serve  our  simple  bill 
of  fare  quite  nicely,  for  it  only  consists  of  fish,  boiled  or 
fried,  and  venison,  boiled  or  broiled  —  the  broiling  being 
done  on  the  bare  coals. 

I  have  brought  with  me  a  lot  of  butter  and  tallow, 
mixed  in  equal  quantities  and  called  "  Verkeransk  but- 
ter," or  jzere,  with  which  we  fry  our  fish,  and  butter 
our  dry  broiled  steaks  ;  for  reindeer  is  a  miserable  meat, 
coarse,  black,  dry,  and  tough,  and  requires  in  cooking  the 
aid  of  additional  fat.  I  have  initiated  Epatchieff  into 
the  luxury  of  a  broiled  steak  put  on  his  plate  hot  from 
the  coals,  and  properly  salted,  peppered,  and  buttered ; 
and  he  says  he  shall  devote  all  of  his  leisure  when  he  re- 
turns home  to  cooking  beefsteaks. 

And  now  I  recall  a  day  at  Verkeransk  when  Kasharof- 
ski  informed  me  that  he  would  have  beefsteaks  for  din- 
ner, served  hot  as  Englishmen  liked  them.  I  expected, 
of  course,  a  great  treat ;  but  imagine  my  surprise  when 
a  wrought-iron  pan  (the  same  in  which  the  meat  was 
cooked)  about  a  foot  in  diameter  and  about  three  quar- 
ters of  an  inch  deep,  saucer-shaped,  and  carried  on  a  pe- 
culiarly-cut stick,  by  means  of  which  the  pan  could  be 
readily  converted  into  a  dish,  was  placed  in  the  centre 
of  the  table.     It  was  full  to  running  over  with  fiery  hot 


STORM-BOUND.  317 

and  spluttering  butter  and  tallow.  And  the  steaks,  — 
ye  gods  of  the  art  cuisine  !  They  were  little  three-quar- 
ter inch  cubes  of  beef,  browned  like  doughnuts,  and  I 
need  scarcely  say  that  I  was  disappointed  and  my  appe- 
tite repulsed.  I  partook  of  something  else,  greatly  to 
Kasharofski's  astonishment,  while  Leon,  the  exile,  who 
was  present,  explained  to  him  the  points  of  difference 
between  an  English  and  a  Siberian  steak.  As  the  dinner 
progressed  I  saw  both  Kasharofski  and  Leon  supping  the 
molten  grease  from  the  pan  with  table-spoons,  and  I  re- 
marked to  them  that  I  thought  it  extraordinary  that  they 
could  do  such  a  thing,  at  least  without  sickening.  They 
laughed  at  this,  and  said  it  kept  them  warm  and  fortified 
them  against  the  cold  weather ;  and  Kasharofski  then 
told  me  of  the  great  fondness  of  the  Yakut  for  hot  but- 
ter, asserting  that  one  man  could  drink  half  a  pood  of  it, 
or  twenty  Russian  pounds  (about  eighteen  pounds,  eight 
ounces,  avoirdupois).  As  I  seemed  incredulous,  and,  in- 
deed, plainly  expressed  my  disbelief  of  this  statement, 
he  sent  his  Cossack  in  search  of  a  Yakut,  and  ordered 
half  a  pood  of  butter  to  be  melted  for  our  experiment. 

When  the  native  appeared,  Kasharofski  informed  him 
of  the  golden  opportunity  that  was  open  to  him,  and  then, 
after  a  preliminary  drink  of  vodki,  handed  him  a  stone 
jar  containing  the  butter.  A  broad  grin  of  satisfaction 
lit  up  the  native's  face,  which  immediately  after  was  hid- 
den within  the  stone  jar,  and  he  guzzled  away  as  though 
he  were  swilling  buttermilk.  A  second  pull  and  he 
owned  the  whole  half  pood  ;  the  jar  was  empty.  Kasha-* 
rofski  then  inquired  if  he  wanted  more.  No,  he  did  not, 
at  least  of  butter,  but  he  would  relish  another  drink  of 
vodki.  This  he  got,  and  thereupon  bowed  himself  out 
of  the  room. 

I  could  not  help  expressing  my  astonishment  at  the 
man's  capacity,  whereupon  Kasharofski  overwhelmed  me 
with  a  statement  which  Leon  confirmed,  and  the  truth 


318  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

of  which  I  have  since  proved  beyond  all  doubt.  It  was 
this  :  that  if  "the  Yakut  was  a  good  and  loving  spouse  he 
would  go  directly  home,  and  eject  the  contents  of  his 
stomach  into  a  vessel  of  water,  which  would  then  be 
placed  out  of  doors  to  cool  and  collect,  and  from  the  rich, 
floating  vomit  his  wife  and  children  would  afterwards 
enjoy  a  hearty  meal.  The  lucky  possessor  of  a  stomach- 
fui  of  vodki  may  in  a  benevolent  mood  similarly  dispose 
of  a  part  of  his  repletion,  minus  the  water  ;  and  away  to 
the  eastward,  among  the  Tchuchees,  families  are  often- 
times regaled,  even  to  inebriation,  with  the  natural  fluid 
discharge  from  the  bodies  of  fortunate  tipplers.  Among 
these  same  people  it  is  a  well-known  custom  to  use  the 
urine  of  both  parties  to  a  marriage  as  a  libation  in  the 
ceremony ;  and  likewise  between  confederates  and  allies 
to  pledge  each  other  and  swear  eternal  friendship.  It 
is  also  a  useful  article  in  their  household  economy;  being 
preserved  in  a  special  vessel  and  employed  as  a  soap  or 
lye  for  cleansing  bodies  and  clothing,  and  curing  or  tan- 
ning skins.  Saving  the  natives  themselves,  it  is  their 
most  disgusting  institution ;  and  if  any  Christian  mis- 
sionary be  earnestly  seeking  a  fresh  field  to  labor  in,  I 
can  assure  him  that  no  soil  is  more  desperately  in  need 
of  cultivation  than  the  Tchuchee  country. 

These  reminiscences  of  Verkeransk  and  St.  Lawrence 
Bay  have  made  me  forget  for  the  nonce  our  now  thickly 
populated  village  of  Cass  Carta.  So  I  shall  return  to  my 
journal,  transcribing  its  daily  record,  and  paraphrasing 
as  I  proceed. 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 
FINDING  THE  BODIES. 

Getting  Affairs  in  Shape.  —  My  Map  of  the  Delta. —  Searching  for 
Ericksen's  Hut. —  Revelations. —  Contending  with  the  Storm. — 
The  Yakut  Fashion  of  Lighting  Fires.  —  A  Miserable  Night.  — 
Which  Cape?  —  A  Clue.  —  The  Myack.  —  Found.  —  De  Long's 
Ice-Journal  and  its  Sad  Entries.  —  Positions  of  the  Bodies. — 
De  Long's  Pistol.  —  A  False  Report.  —  Dr.  Ambler.  —  Appear- 
ance of  the  Dead.  —  "  Dwee  Pomree." 

March  \Wh.  —  Sent  the  «  Red  Fiend "  and  Tomat 
Constantine  to  Ku  Mark  Surt  for  our  reindeer.  I  se- 
cured one  good  team  of  dogs  to-day  for  fifteen  roubles 
per  month  and  their  feed,  — hiring  the  driver  at  the  same 
terms.  As  soon  as  I  can  procure  two  more  teams  of 
equal  excellence,  and  fish  to  feed  them,  I  shall  proceed  to 
Usterda,  accompanied  by  Nindemann,  and  pick  up  the 
trail.  When  Nindemann  reached  Cass  Carta  the  other 
day,  he  at  once  declared  that  I  was  too  far  to  the  west- 
ward, for  although  I  was  on  the  river  along  which  De 
Long  and  party  took  up  their  march,  yet  the  place 
where  he  and  Noros  separated  from  their  comrades  is 
away  to  the  eastward.  This  is  an  unfathomable  mystery 
to  me. 

March  loth.  —  I  received  four  good  dogs,  to-day,  from 
North  Belun,  and  will  put  them  on  rations  until  I  can 
"complete  the  set."  Three  teams  arrived  from  Bukoff 
this  afternoon  with  three  hundred  fish,  which  I  stored, 
paying  their  road  money.  I  have  now  opened  commu- 
nications with  all  parts  of  the  Delta,  but  have  received 


320  AV   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

no  tidings  as  yet  of  the  bread  teams.  I  am  in  constant 
receipt  of  fresh  information  from  the  natives  regarding 
the  surrounding  territory,  huts,  islands,  etc. ;  and  have  a 
queer  map  conjointly  designed  by  old  Vasilli  Kool  Gar, 
La  Kentie  Shamoola,  and  Geordi  Nicolai.  The  names  of 
the  islands  and  huts  I  have  written  down  as  the  natives 
pronounced  them  ;  and  I  find  that  in  the  centre  of  the 
archipelago  there  is  a  section  of  country  about  which 
the  natives  know  absolutely  nothing.  Of  course,  it  is 
more  than  likely  that  some  one  can  tell  me  who  built 
the  hut  in  which  Ericksen  died,  but  I  have  not  yet  been 
able  to  discover  that  person.  The  weather  just  now  is 
calm  and  glorious,  and  I  trust  it  will  remain  so  indefi- 
nitely. 

March  16th.  —  Clear  and  cold.  I  have  provisioned 
two  teams  of  twelve  and  thirteen  dogs  for  six  days,  to 
start  Gronbeck  and  myself,  and  Xindemann  and  Kolin- 
kin  on  the  search.  I  Lave  not  enough  dogs  as  yet  to 
dispatch  Bartlett  from  the  southward  to  the  northward, 
as  my  intention  is,  so  that  the  three  parties  may  meet 
and  spread  again ;  but  instead  of  waiting  for  him,  Nin- 
deman-n  and  myself  will  proceed  to  Usterda,  and,  cross- 
ing the  river  where  De  Long  did,  will  follow  his  trail  to 
the  southward.  We  have  one  hundred  and  twenty  fish 
beside  other  provisions,  and  consequently  our  teams  are 
heavily  laden,  but  the  river-bed  along  which  our  course 
lies  is  hard  and  smooth.  The  huts  to  the  eastward  of 
Usterda,  and  in  its  immediate  vicinity,  are  called  Macha, 
Mesja,  and  Bulchoi  Mesja ;  these  being  the  names  of  the 
islands  on  which  the  huts  are  located.  I  have  an  idea 
that  one  of  them  is  Ericksen's  hut. 

We  set  out  about  nine  A.  M.,  and  before  noon  came 
up  with  the  little  old  hut  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river 
which  I  visited  last  fall,  and  first  supposed  was  the  scene 
of  Ericksen's  death.  I  am  now  told  that  its  name  is 
Do-boi-dak.     As  we  approached    Macha,  Nindemann 


FINDING    THE  BODIE 

recognized  the  place  at  a  glance,  and  identified  Usterda, 
one  mile  farther  to  the  northward,  as  the  point  at  which 
they  crossed  the  river.  We  returned  by  the  west  bank 
as  De  Long  had  done,  and  when  about  a  mile  south  of 
Macha  I  learned  for  the  first  time  that  De  Long  had 
crossed  over  to  the  east  side  of  the  river,  and  had  not  fol- 
lowed the  west  bank  as  his  record  declared  he  would. 

It  is  now  plain  why  I  failed  to  find  the  |  I  falL 

Guided  by  the  record  and  my  conversations  with  Xinde- 
mann  and  Xor os,  I  -.Arched  the  west  bank  of  the  river 
all  the  way  up  to  Mat  Vay.  and  so  lost  the  trail.  When 
Xindemann  to-day  indicated  the  point  of  land  at  which 
they  crossed  over  to  the  eastward.  I  took  a  good  s 
of  the  river,  and  immediately  the  reason  of  such  a  move 
nade  clear  to  me.  The  Lena  here  takes  a  great 
bend  to  the  westward.  De  Long  -xished  to  go  south. 
His  chart,  and  mine  likewise,  showed  a  branch  of  the 
river  running  to  the  westward,  and  to  the  southward  of 
I  I  :  Vay,  — so  there  is  where  he  imagined  he  was;  and 
this  is  why  he  supposed  himself  to  be  at  or  near  Tit 
Arii  (Tree  Island),  or  Tas  Arii  (Stone  Island),  which  is 
close  by. 

We  searched  aronnd  the  bluff,  bur  it  ~:;5  snowed 
under,  and  too  deeply  for  us  to  excavate.  We  dis- 
covered evidences,  however,  of  the  pa:  —nee.  and 
then,  after  following  along  the  dry  bed  of  a  small  stream 
in  a  futile  hunt  for  the  hut,  turned  round  at  length,  and 
have  come  back  to  Macha  for  the  night. 

Mtnnek  l~th. —  A  northwest  wind:  the  snow  fall     _ 
and  every  indication   of  a  coming  storm.     Off  by  nine 
A.  M.     I  crossed  the  river  at  the  place  pointed  out  by 
Nindemann.  and  found  a    small  stream   flowing  south. 
Following  this  about  five  miles  we  gain  to  an 

effluent  branch  running  southeast,  which  we  pursu-r 
perhaps  ten  miles,  finally  arriving  at  a  hut  of  which  the 
natives  had  told  us.     But  it  was  not  the  one  we  were  in 
21 


322  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

search  of.  I  then  returned  to  the  main  river,  and,  making 
a  fresh  start,  followed  it  south  to  the  point  where  it 
takes  the  long  westerly  bend.  Nindemann  here  recog- 
nized the  place  at  which  the  party  camped  the  first  night 
after  leaving  Macha  ;  and  says  he  thinks  they  marched 
about  fifteen  miles  that  day.  We  traversed  the  bed  of 
the  stream  until  it  ran  out  and  was  lost  in  the  sand- 
spits  and  tundra.  This  was  as  Nindemann  predicted  it 
would  be. 

Continuing  then  our  southeast  course  across  the  low 
tundra,  we  expected  to  meet  a  large  river  running  south, 
with  a  high  western  bank ;  but  reaching  it  about  twelve 
versts  from  our  starting-point  we  were  surprised  to  find 
the  eastern  bank  very  high  and  the  western  bank  low  — 
the  very  reverse  of  what  we  were  looking  for.  The  na- 
tives call  this  river  the  Oshee  Macha. 

By  this  time  it  was  blowing  so  furiously  that  the  dogs 
would  not  face  the  cutting  wind ;  and  as  night  was  near 
at  hand  we  bethought  ourselves  of  shelter.  The  whole 
face  of  the  country  is  changed,  and  Nindemann  can  recog- 
nize nothing ;  so  I  must  depend  entirely  upon  the  natives 
to  guide  me  to  the  various  huts  in  the  vicinity  until  I 
chance  upon  the  one  in  which  Ericksen  died,  and  then 
I  can  follow  south  the  west  bank  of  the  river  until  I 
come  up  with  the  lost  party. 

We  started  for  Sister  Ganak,  thirty  versts  distant, 
and  the  wind  had  now  grown  into  a  gale,  and  we  could 
not  see  ten  yards  ahead  of  us.  On  the  way  we  halted 
at  a  hut  called  Chogen,  which  I  visited  last  fall,  and  at 
which  I  was  now  very  much  tempted  to  camp;  bat  since, 
it  was  my  intention  to  leave  part  of  our  goods  at  Sister 
Ganak  to  lighten  the  sleds,  we  kept  on,  losing  our  way 
and  wandering  about  in  the  storm  for  more  than  an  hour. 
At  last  we  found  some  fox-traps  belonging  to  La  Kentie 
Shamoola,  and  from  these  he  started  off  at  once,  and  in 
a  little  while  brought  us  safely  to  Sister  Ganak. 


FINDING   THE  BODIES.  323 

The  hut  is  so  rickety  that  we  are  robbed  of  the  heat  of 
our  fire,  which  cooked  our  fish,  however,  and  we  have 
plenty  of  hot  tea. 

March  18^/i.  —  It  was  too  stormy  this  morning  to  make 
a  start,  and  as  it  is  but  a  short  run  to  Cass  Carta,  I 
decided  to  return  there  for  an  additional  supply  of  fish, 
leaving  fifty  at  Sister  Ganak  for  any  possible  emergency. 
Since  I  have  now  extracted  all  the  information  I  can  get 
from  the  natives,  I  will  leave  our  two  interpreters  at 
Cass  Carta  and  ease  the  dogs  of  so  much  weight ;  for  as 
soon  as  the  weather  will  permit  I  shall  return  to  the 
Oshee  Macha,  and  follow  it  down  as  far  as  Mat  Vay,  or 
until  I  find  Ericksen's  hut. 

We  reached  Cass  Carta  about  three  P.  M.,  and  found 
the  camp  quiet  and  flourishing,  for  the  bread  sleds  ar- 
rived on  the  16th,  bringing  nine  bags  of  bread  and  one 
bag  of  flour.  The  fish-sleds  have  not  yet  returned,  for 
the  last  arrivals,  which  brought  two  hundred  fish  for  Mat 
Vay  and  consumed  ninety  on  the  road,  were  sixteen  days 
in  coming,  and  will  probably  require  four  days  on  the 
journey  to  Bukoff.  No  fresh  dogs  as  yet.  Bartlett  is 
anxious  to  go  on  the  next  search,  but  I  cannot  send  him 
without  dogs,  thougli  as  soon  as  practicable  I  shall  start 
him  north  from  Mat  Vay  to  meet  Nindemann  and  myself 
on  our  search  south  from  Usterda. 

March  Vdth.  — Though  still  fitful,  the  weather  is  im- 
proving. A  south  southwest  wind,  and  the  sun  strag- 
gling through  snow-clouds.  I  am  arranging  the  tents, 
and  getting  things  into  shape  for  another  start  and  trial 
to  the  eastward.  I  must  first  find  Ericksen's  hut,  and  so 
shorten  in  the  distance  to  be  searched,  and  shed  light 
upon  my  labors.  When  Bartlett  joins  us,  we  can  sepa- 
rate and  spread  over  the  country  in  quest  of  the  hut, 
which  is  the  certain  key  to  the  problem.  Nindemann 
does  not  know  from  which  of  the  many  rivers  they  issued 
into  the  bay  or  gooba,  but  does  remember  that  the  island 


324  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

of  Stolboi  bore  about  south  of  them  during  the  whole  of 
the  march.  If  I  fail  to  discover  the  hut  from  Usterda, 
Bartlett  will  have  a  chance  of  finding  it  from  the  south- 
ward ;  and  after  I  have  searched  as  far  south  as  Mat 
Vay,  I  will  then  investigate  every  branch  of  the  river 
running  north  from  the  bay. 

Towards  evening  the  sled  which  carried  Tomat  and 
Yapheme  to  Ku  Mark  Surt  returned.  The  driver  brings 
word  that  Epatchieff  is  weather-bound  at  Mat  Vay,  where 
he  has  been  for  three  days  awaiting  an  opportunity  to 
reach  Bulcour;  for  the  wind  at  this  point  rushes  out  of  the 
river-gorge  like  water  from  a  fire-hose,  cutting  and  sweep- 
ing everything  from  its  path.  He  is  on  his  wa}7  back  to 
Verkeransk,  having  faithfully  secured  for  me  the  support 
and  cooperation  of  the  natives.  Our  deer,  under  the 
guidance  of  Tomat  and  Yapheme,  left  Ku  Mark  Surt  the 
day  after  the  dog-team,  and  are  due  here  to-day. 

Four  teams  have  arrived  from  Bukoff  with  four  hun- 
dred fish  ;  so  I  now  have  plenty  of  dogs  and  fish  to  equip 
my  three  search  parties. 

March  20th.  —  A  clear  day,  with  a  pleasant  breeze 
blowing  from  the  south  southwest. 

We  made  an  early  start ;  Bartlett  steering  for  Mat 
Vay  with  instructions  to  follow  the  main  river  or  one  of 
its  large  branches  north  of  Stolboi.  He  has  a  team  of 
sixteen  dogs,  a  tent,  six  days'  provisions,  and  Geordi 
Nicolai  as  yamshick.  Nindemann  and  myself  similarly 
equipped,  with  La  Kentie  Shamoola  and  young  Kerick 
to  drive  us,  set  forth  on  a  straight  course  for  Bulchoi 
Mesja.  Arrived  there,  Nindemann  confirmed  his  previ- 
ous recognition  of  the  locality,  but  was  totally  bewildered 
and  uncertain  as  to  the  direction  pursued  by  the  party 
south  from  that  point.  So  we  ran  off  southeast  until 
he  thought  we  were  making  too  much  easting,  when  we 
veered  to  the  southwest  to  a  point  he  vaguely  remem- 
bered.    Then  south  by  east,  then  east  and  west,  follow- 


FINDING    THE  BODIES.  325 

ing  a  large  stream  to  the  southward,  until  the  dogs  be- 
gan to  weaken,  when  we  halted  and  erected  our  tent 
under  the  lee  of  a  hill. 

There  was  very  little  drift-wood  in  the  vicinity,  but 
we  were  too  tired  and  cold  to  care  much  whether  our 
supper  was  hot  or  not.  Still  the  warm  tea  and  raw 
frozen  fish  found  great  favor  in  our  eyes.  The  tent  was 
too  small  to  allow  of  our  building  a  fire  in  it,  so,  notwith- 
standing the  high  wind,  the  natives  dug  a  hole  outside  in 
the  snow,  wherein  they  soon  had  our  scant  drift-wood 
ablaze,  and  our  tea-kettle  boiling. 

The  Yakut  mode  of  building  camp-fires  is  as  fol- 
lows :  The  pot  or  kettle  is  hung  on  a  tree  branch  of 
sufficient  length  and  strength  to  project  from  the  snow- 
bank in  which  it  is  thrust,  over  a  hole  excavated  in 
the  snow  beneath  the  kettle,  and  at  such  a  distance 
from  the  bank  that  the  heat  will  not  melt  the  snow 
from  the  butt  of  the  limb.  To  start  the  fire,  a  dry  piece 
of  wood  is  procured  from  the  high  river  banks,  many 
sticks  being  cut  with  the  axe  and  rejected,  until  one  en- 
tirely free  from  moisture  and  fit  for  kindling  is  found  ; 
which  is  then  carefully  split  and  kept  dry.  The  best 
of  the  drift-wood  is  next  selected  and  also  split  up  and 
chopped  into  proper  lengths.  Thus  far,  so  good  ;  but  the 
natives  are  ignorant  of  matches,  and  with  only  their  flint 
and  steel  it  would  seem  a  difficult  matter  to  start  a  fire, 
since  they  have  no  rags,  either  cotton  or  flax,  or  any 
highly  inflammable  material  like  sulphur  sticks.  But 
here  is  where  the  Yakut  and  Tunguse  ingenuity  asserts 
itself. 

The  buds  of  the  arctic  willow  are  forever  trying  to 
peep  from  beneath  their  blanket  of  snow,  and  within 
these  buds  is  a  light  flossy  substance  in  the  nature  of 
thistle-down.  Whenever  he  can,  the  native  gathers  a 
handful  of  these,  and  robs  them  of  their  down,  which  he 
then  moistens  slightly  and  mixes  with  ground  charcoal, 


326  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

prepared  by  cooling  a  lighted  piece  of  birch  wood  in  the 
ashes  of  his  hearth.  The  dampened  floss  thoroughly 
rolled  through  the  charcoal  is  next  covered  up  and  dried 
before  the  fire  on  the  same  board  whereon  it  was  com- 
pounded and  the  charcoal  powdered.  It  is  now  an  ex- 
cellent tinder,  igniting  quickly  into  a  hot  and  durable 
point  of  fire.  But  in  addition  to  it,  some  light  match- 
stuff  is  necessary,  and  to  supply  this  need,  a  bundle  of 
fine  soft  sticks,  about  thirty  inches  long,  is  always  kept 
drying  over  the  fire-place.  Before  the  native  sets  out  on 
a  journey,  or,  indeed,  as  often  as  the  material  is  required, 
the  old  women  of  the  house  take  down  several  of  these 
sticks,  and  carefully  shape  them  into  sword  blades.  They 
then  rest  their  knives  in  beveled  notches  cut  in  the  flat 
sides  of  small  pieces  of  wood,  about  three  eighths  of  an 
inch  broad,  one  eighth  of  an  inch  thick,  and  one  inch  and 
a  half  long,  and  the  operation  proper  begins.  Along 
the  wooden  sword,  which  is  held  against  the  shoulder 
like  a  violin,  the  knife  in  its  gauge  is  drawn  continuously 
and  rapidly,  and  at  each  draught  a  thin  coiling  shaving 
drops  to  the  floor  or  in  the  lap  of  the  operator.  A  bag 
full  of  these  fine  curls  —  which,  when  matted  together, 
very  much  resemble  the  American  manufactured  mate- 
rial known  to  upholsterers  as  "  excelsior  "  —  is  always 
ready  for  the  traveling  native,  preserved  dry  in  the  huts 
beneath  the  sleeping-skins,  and  carried  in  a  fish-skin  bag 
on  the  journey. 

So  now,  with  the  materials  at  hand,  we  will  start  a 
fire  :  The  native  takes  from  his  skin  pouch  a  bunch  of 
the  "  excelsior  "  about  the  size  of  a  robin's  nest,  rolls  it 
into  a  ball,  punches  a  hole  in  it,  and  then  lays  it  care- 
fully on  the  snow.  Next,  taking  a  pinch  of  tinder  from 
the  bag  which  always  hangs  at  his  hip,  he  places  it  on 
his  flint,  and  with  a  quick  sharp  sti'oke  ignites  and  in- 
closes it  in  the  centre  of  his  nest  of  shavings,  which  he 
then  lifts  up,  holding  it  lightly  with  his  fingers  spread 


FINDING   THE  BODIES.  327 

apart  for  the  passage  of  air,  and  whirls  rapidly  around 
his  head  at  arm's  length.  At  first  a  faint,  pleasant  odor 
of  burning  birch  steals  upon  the  air,  then  a  light  streak 
of  smoke  follows  the  revolving  arm,  and  when  the  heat 
within  his  hand  notifies  the  native  that  a  proper  degree 
of  ignition  has  been  attained,  he  suddenly  ceases  his 
gyrations,  tears  open  the  smoking  nest,  and  with  a  quick 
puff  blows  it  into  flame.  Then  depositing  the  blazing 
ball  on  the  snow  he  soon  piles  his  fagots  over  and  around 
it,  and  in  a  very  few  seconds  his  fire  is  in  full  blast. 

I  have  watched  this  operation  a  hundred  times,  and 
never  saw  it  fail.  When  I  tender  matches  (spitchMes) 
to  the  natives  they  invariably  refuse  them,  because  the 
shavings  so  lighted  burn  inwardly  and  give  off  but  little 
heat,  whereas  by  the  Yakut  treatment  they  are  almost 
instantly  a  glowing  mass,  never  missing  fire.  And  so  it 
was  to-night. 

We  turned,  at  length,  into  our  sleeping-bags,  cold  and 
tired,  La  Kentie  and  Kerick  sleeping  with  us  in  the  tent, 
but  nearer  to  the  "  flies."  We  had  no  oil-cloth  to  sleep 
upon,  but  nevertheless  were  soon  warm  and  comfortable, 
for  the  snow  is  soft  and  dry,  and  forms  a  much  better 
bed  than  hard  ice,  or  even  the  harder  boards  in  the  Ya- 
kut hut.  When  camping  out  in  winter  time,  this  is  a 
point  to  remember  and  observe,  but  in  summer,  when  the 
snow  is  wet,  it  should  be  avoided. 

We  had  barely  composed  ourselves  to  the  sleep  we 
sorely  needed,  when  the  wind  began  to  pipe  and  the 
clouds  to  drift  swiftly  across  the  sky.  The  natives  said 
"  pagoda,  bar,  bar,"  and  before  midnight  the  snow  had 
sifted  through  the  tent  and  into  our  sleeping-bags,  where 
it  melted,  and  then  our  wet  clothing  froze  fast  to  our  bod- 
ies, and  we  could  not  move.  So  we  endured  our  misery 
until  six  o'clock  this  morning  (the  21st),  when  I  drove 
the  yamshicks  out  to  make  some  tea.  They  succeeded 
in  starting  a  fire,  but  the  snow  soon  smothered  and  extin- 


328  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

guished  it.  The  natives  then  sliced  some  raw  fish  which 
they  and  Nindemann  ate,  for  the  weather  had  stolen  my 
appetite,  but  at  seven  o'clock  I  caught  sight  of  the  sun 
through  a  rift  in  the  clouds,  and  determined  to  get  un- 
der way.  It  was  my  wish  to  reach  Mat  Vay  on  this  lino 
of  search ;  but  as  neither  the  dogs  nor  the  natives  could 
face  the  fierce  wind,  I  stood  to  the  northward  of  west 
and  ran  for  Qu  Vina,  where  we  arrived  about  eleven 
o'clock. 

It  is  a  leaky,  wretched  hut ;  but  we  were  glad  to  ac- 
cept of  its  shelter,  for  it  enabled  us  at  least  to  prepare 
our  breakfast  of  hot  tea  and  boiled  fish.  Towards  noon 
the  gale  abated,  and  we  were  making  ready  to  set  out 
for  Mat  Vay,  when  seven  teams  arrived  on  their  way 
from  Bukoff  to  Cass  Carta,  having  put  in  at  Qu  Vina  to 
escape  the  storm.  Young  Kerick  found  this  kind  of 
service  too  severe  for  him ;  he  would  propaldi  (break 
down,  or  die),  he  said  ;  so  I  discharged  him  and  took  Ca- 
piocan  in  his  place,  who  seems  twice  as  plucky.  Two  of 
the  loads  of  fish  I  turned  back  to  Mat  Vay,  where  we 
arrived  to-night.  Bartlett  left  here  this  morning  on  his 
search  to  the  northward.  He  was  lucky  to  have  been 
under  cover  last  night,  but  is  catching  it  now,  for  the 
gale  roars  outside.  Still  he  has  a  tent,  in  which  with  all 
its  discomforts  I  am  inclined  to  believe  he  has  as  pleas- 
ant quarters  to-night  as  have  we  in  this  rickety  old  hut, 
devoid  of  chimney.  For  the  smoke  is  blinding,  and  it  is 
horrible  to  lie  on  our  backs  with  mitten-covered  fingers 
over  our  eyes,  or  as  a  recreation  to  lie  on  our  stomachs 
with  our  faces  on  our  hands. 

March  22d.  —  It  blew  violently  all  night,  and  has  con- 
tinued to  blow  all  day.  The  hut  is  nearly  filled  with 
snow,  those  of  us  lying  to  the  westward  being  half  buried 
in  it.  We  have  stayed  in  doors  all  day,  almost  blinded 
by  the  smoke,  and  forced  to  sit  or  lie  down  ;  so  night 
and  sleep  are  very  welcome  to  us. 


FINDING    THE  BODIES.  329 

March  22>d.  —  At  early  morning  the  weather  was  still 
squally,  but  as  day  advanced  it  cleared.  I  will  now  make 
another  attempt  from  the  southward,  and  if  I  can  only 
find  the  high  promontory  from  which  Nindemann  sighted 
Mat  Vay,  there  is  no  doubt  of  my  ability  to  follow  the 
trail  as  far  as  Ericksen's  hut. 

The  sun  came  out  in  course  of  time,  and  although  the 
snow  still  drifted  before  the  wind,  I  could  yet  discern  the 
points  of  land  making  out  into  the  bay.  Our  eyes  are 
still  weak  from  the  effects  of  smoke,  and  the  sunlight 
tortures  them.  The  problem  that  now  puzzled  me  was, 
—  Which  of  the  round  dozen  points  of  land  before  us  is 
the  one  that  Nindemann  turned  when  he  reached  the  bay 
or  gooba  f  Cold,  hungry,  without  compass,  and  with 
orders  "to  keep  the  west  bank  aboard,"  he  only  knew 
that  he  had  journeyed  south  and  a  long  way  from  the 
eastward  —  but  how  far  ?  So  with  nothing  to  guide  me, 
I  decided  to  start  at  the  northwest  and  follow  along  from 
point  to  point  until  I  found  the  point.  Nindemann  was 
anxious  to  go  east,  skipping  many  of  the  headlands,  but 
this  I  would  not  do  for  fear  of  missing  the  particular  one 
I  wanted.  Then  again,  as  De  Long  had  said  he  would 
follow  in  the  track  of  Nindemann  and  Noros,  on  which 
point  was  it  that  he  had  camped  and  died? 

So  I  visited  from  cape  to  cape,  taking  a  good  survey 
of  each  river,  until  finally  we  came  to  a  large  rough 
stream,  the  Kagoastock,  where  the  land  ran  far  out  into 
the  bay.  Nindemann  was  still  uncertain,  and  sat  on  his 
sled  gazing  dumbly  at  the  Stolboi  which  had  been  a  land- 
mark for  himself  and  Norcs  on  their  march  to  the  south- 
ward, and  which  now  showed  nearly  to  the  south  of  us. 
Meanwhile  I  had  ascended  to  the  high  ground  of  the 
point,  and  stumbled  upon  a  fire-bed,  perhaps  six  feet  in 
diameter,  with  many  foot-prints  frozen  in  around  it,  for 
the  winds  had  fortunately  kept  the  promontory  clear  of 
snow. 


330  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

"  Here  they  are,"  I  shouted,  and  Nindemann,  closely 
followed  by  the  natives  was  soon  at  my  side.  It  looked 
like  a  signal-fire,  the  logs  were  so  large,  and  when  I  asked 
our  drivers  if  the  Yakuts  had  built  it,  they  confidently 
replied,  — 

"  Soak ;  Yakut  agoime  malinki,  malinki  "  (no  ;  Yakut 
fire  little,  little). 

I  had  not  yet  found  the  bodies,  but  had  certainly  fixed 
the  trail ;  for  I  now  reasoned  that  the  party  had  rounded 
this  point  and  I  would  discover  them  somewhere  to  the 
westward.  Still  I  was  desirous  of  securing  the  record  and 
other  relics  at  Ericksen's  hut,  and  so  set  out  at  once  to 
explore  the  banks  of  the  river.  Nindemann  had  told  me 
that  one  of  the  prominent  landmarks  along  this  stream 
was  an  old  fiat-boat  which  lay  stranded  on  the  shore 
of  the  river,  and  in  which  he  and  Noros  had  camped  a 
couple  of  daj^s  after  they  parted  from  De  Long.;  and 
now  in  his  anxiety  to  find  it  he  started  off  ahead  of  me, 
with  the  dogs  of  both  teams  in  full  cry.  I  always  kept 
a  sharp  lookout  for  strange  objects,  having  directed  the 
others  to  do  likewise,  and  presently,  as  Nindemann  sud- 
denly sighting  the  flat-boat  drove  at  full  speed  towards 
it,  I  espied  a  black  thing  sticking  out  of  the  snow,  about 
three  hundred  yards  to  the  southward  of  the  boat,  and 
at  once  rolled  off  my  sled,  whereupon  the  yamshick,  hav- 
ing seen  me  perform  this  feat  before,  drew  up  his  team 
and  joined  me.  I  hastened  to  the  black  object  which 
attracted  my  attention,  and  found  it  to  be  the  points  of 
four  sticks  held  together  at  the  top  by  a  small  piece  of 
lashing  stuff,  and  across  the  forks  of  the  sticks  was  hung 
by  its  strap  a  Remington  rifle,  the  muzzle  of  which  peeped 
about  eight  inches  above  the  snow.  In  my  eagerness 
to  reach  it  I  fell  forward  on  the  sticks,  severely  cutting 
and  bruising  my  face.  Pulling  the  rifle  from  the  snow, 
I  cleared  the  barrel  and  instantly  identified  it  as  Alex- 
ia's.    There  was  no  record  in  the  barrel  as  I  hoped  there 


FINDING   THE  BODIES.  331 

would  be ;  so  I  sent  my  driver,  La  Kentie,  for  Ninde- 
mann,  surmising  that  De  Long,  unable  to  carry  his  books 
and  papers  further,  had  cached  them  here  and  erected 
this  myack  as  a  landmark.  The  fire-bed,  too,  that  I  had 
just  found  on  the  promontory  confirmed  me  in  this  opin- 
ion ;  so  as  soon  as  Nindemann  came  up  I  set  the  two 
natives  at  work  digging  out  the  snow.  It  was  a  tedious 
operation,  and  in  a  few  minutes  Nindemann  said  he 
would  take  a  look  to  the  northward.  I  then  climbed  to 
the  top  of  the  bank,  intending  to  obtain  a  round  of  com- 
pass bearings  for  Stolboi,  Mat  Vay  and  other  points  in 
order  to  locate  the  place,  as  I  hoped  to  make  Mat  Vay 
for  the  night.  La  Kentie  accompanied  me,  carrying  the 
compass,  and  as  we  walked  along  I  noticed  some  old 
clothing,  mittens,  etc.,  lying  on  the  high  ground  above 
the  river.  Nearing  the  spot  where  the  fire  had  been 
built,  I  observed  something  dark  in  the  snow,  and  upon 
going  towards  it  was  rewarded  by  the  discovery  of  the 
party's  tea-kettle,  a  cylindrical  copper  vessel  blackened 
by  many  fires. 

"  Kack,  chinick ! "  (What,  the  kettle  !  )  exclaimed  I 
to  La  Kentie,  and  so  saying  advanced  to  pick  it  up,  when 
suddenly  I  caught  sight  of  three  objects  at  my  very  feet ; 
and  one  of  these,  the  one  I  was  about  to  step  over  — 
was  the  hand  and  arm  of  a  body  raised  out  of  the  snow. 
La  Kentie  gave  one  look,  and  dropping  the  compass 
started  back  in  terror,  crossing  himself. 

I  identified  De  Long  at  a  glance  by  his  coat.  He  lay 
on  his  right  side,  with  his  right  hand  under  his  cheek, 
his  head  pointing  north,  and  his  face  turned  to  the  west. 
His  feet  were  drawn  slightly  up  as  though  he  were  sleep- 
ing ;  his  left  arm  was  raised  with  the  elbow  bent,  and 
his  hand,  thus  horizontally  lifted,  was  bare.  About  four 
feet  back  of  him,  or  toward  the  east,  I  found  his  small 
note-book  or  ice-journal,  where  he  had  tossed  it  with  his 
left  hand,  which  looked  as  though  it  had  never  recovered 
from  the  act,  but  had  frozen  as  I  found  it,  upraised. 


332  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

Turning,  then,  to  the  last  entry  in  the  journal,  I 
read :  — 

"Oct.  30th,  Sunday.  —  Boyd  and  Gortz  died  during 
night.     Mr.  Collins  dying." 

The  other  two  objects  in  the  snow  proved  to  be  the 
bodies  of  Dr.  Ambler  and  Ah  Sam,  the  Chinese  cook. 
A  few  small  articles  lay  scattered  around,  and  these  I 
gathered  together  and  put  in  the  kettle.  Besides  the 
journal  I  also  found  a  medicine  case,  and  a  tin  cylinder, 
three  inches  in  diameter  and  almost  four  feet  long,  which 
contained  the  drawings  and  charts  of  the  cruise.  Dis- 
patching La  Kentie  in  quest  of  Nindemann,  I  occupied 
myself  until  he  arrived  in  perusing  the  sad  record,  begin- 
ning at  the  final  date  and  reading  backward.  I  learned 
from  it  that,  after  Ericksen,  the  next  man  to  die  was 
Alexia,  and  that  he  had  been  buried  from  the  flat-boat 
in  the  ice  of  the  river.  I  therefore  supposed  that  the  whole 
party  must  be  lying  within  an  area,  north  and  south,  of 
not  more  than  five  hundred  yards.  After  leaving  the 
flat-boat  they  had  advanced  about  three  hundred  yards, 
but  the  southerly  gales  were  too  fierce  for  them  to  face ; 
so  they  had  camped  where  the  myack  was,  and  there  all 
but  three  had  died.  The  journal  relates  how  the  remain- 
ing membei^s  of  the  starving  band  were  so  weak  that 
they  could  not  carry  Lee  and  Kaack  —  the  first  two  who 
succumbed  after  Alexia  —  out  on  the  bed  of  the  river,  so 
they  "carried  them  around  the  corner  out  of  sight,"  and 
"  Then,"  says  De  Long,  "  my  eye  closed  up."  (Nindemann 
tells  me  that  during  the  march  the  captain  suffered  se- 
verely with  his  eyes,  and  when  he  left  him  he  was  almost 
blind,  which  explains  this  passage  in  the  journal.) 

One  after  another  died  until  only  three  were  left,  and 
then  De  Long  perceived  that  unless  the  books  and  papers 
and  the  bodies  of  his  comrades  were  removed  from  the 
low  bed  of  the  river,  the  spring  floods  would  sweep  them 
all  out  to  sea.     So  the  surviving  three  had  tried  to  carry 


FINDING   THE  BODIES.  333 

the  records  to  the  high  ground  for  safety,  together  with 
a  cake  of  river  ice  for  water,  the  kettle,  a  hatchet,  and 
a  piece  of  their  tent-cloth,  but  their  little  remaining 
strength  was  not  even  equal  to  the  task  of  lifting  the 
cases  of  records  up  the  steep  bank,  so  they  sank  down 
from  the  effort,  after  securing  the  chart-case  and  other 
small  articles,  leaving  the  records  to  their  fate.  At  the 
root  of  a  large  drift  tree  that  had  lodged  on  the  bank 
some  twenty-five  or  thirty  feet  above  the  river,  they 
built  a  fire  and  brewed  some  willow  tea ;  and  the  kettle 
when  I  found  it  was  one  quarter  full  of  ice  and  willow 
shoots.  The  tent -cloth  they  set  up  to  the  southward 
of  them  to  protect  their  fire,  but  the  winter  winds  had 
blown  it  down,  and  it  now  partly  covered  Ah  Sam,  who 
lay  flat  upon  his  back,  with  his  feet  towards  the  fire  and 
his  hands  crossed  upon  his  breast ;  a  position  in  which 
the  last  two  survivors  had  evidently  placed  him.  De 
Long  had  crawled  off  to  the  northward  and  about  ten 
feet  from  Ah  Sam,  while  Doctor  Ambler  was  stretched 
ont  between, — his  feet  nearly  touching  the  latter,  and 
his  head  resting  on  a  line  with  De  Long's  knees.  He 
lay  almost  prone  on  his  face,  with  his  right  arm  ex- 
tended under  him,  and  his  left  hand  raised  to  his  mouth. 
'In  the  agony  of  death  he  had  bitten  deep  into  the  flesh 
between  his  thumb  and  forefinger,  and  around  his  head 
the  snow  was  stained  with  blood.  None  of  the  three 
had  boots  or  mittens  on,  their  legs  and  feet  being  covered 
with  strips  of  woolen  blanket  and  pieces  of  the  tent- 
cloth,  bound  around  to  the  knees  with  bits  of  rope  and 
the  waist-belts  of  their  comrades.  Ah  Sam  had  on  a 
pair  of  red  knit  San  Francisco  socks,  the  heels  and  toes 
of  which  were  entirely  worn  away. 

When  Nindemann  joined  me  I  showed  him  the  three 
bodies  as  yet  undisturbed,  and  the  articles  I  had  gathered 
together,  including  the  journal,  from  which  De  Long  had 
torn  away  three  quarters  of  a  page;  but  as  the  opposite 


334  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

one  on  which  the  last  entry  had  been  made  was  not  filled 
out,  it  was  plain  that  no  record  was  missing.  I  then  told 
Ninderaann  to  thoroughly  search  the  bodies,  directing 
him  to  cut  the  clothing  in  the  vicinity  of  the  pockets, 
and  all  of  the  many  small  things  he  found,  I  tied  up 
in  separate  packages  and  marked,  so  that  no  scrap  of 
paper  or  article  of  any  kind  might  be  lost.  I  did  not 
then  take  an  inventory  of  these  things,  because  of  the 
intense  cold.  In  all  the  pockets  were  scraps  of  old  seal- 
skin clothing,  boots,  and  trousers,  which  had  been  crisped 
in  the  fire,  some  of  it  with  the  hair  on  the  hide.  De 
Long's  pistol  was  missing.  I  knew  he  had  one,  and  that 
he  had  carried  it  from  the  time  the  ship  was  crushed 
until  we  parted  company.  It  was  originally  the  prop- 
erty of  Mr.  Danenhower,  who,  while  we  were  encamped 
on  the  ice  preparing  for  our  long  march,  had  thrown  it, 
together  with  some  ammunition,  into  the  sea  —  as  he 
then  supposed.  But  a  thin  sheet  of  ice  covered  the  lead, 
which  shortly  before  had  been  open  water,  and  over  this, 
instead  of  sinking,  the  pistol  went  skimming.  So  after- 
wards, when  De  Long  found  himself  without  a  pistol,  he 
directed  one  of  the  men  to  secure  Danenhower's  for  him ; 
and  now  failing  to  see  it  on  his  person  I  thought  no  more 
at  the  time  than  that  he  had  thrown  it  away  because  of 
its  weight.  Chipp  had  given  his  pistol  to  Ah  Sam,  who 
clung  to  it  until  death. 

The  three  bodies  were  all  frozen  fast  to  the  snow,  so 
fast  that  it  was  necessary  to  pry  them  loose  with  a  stick 
of  timber.  In  turning  over  Dr.  Ambler,  I  was  surprised 
to  find  De  Long's  pistol  in  his  right  hand,  and  then,  ob- 
serving the  blood-stained  mouth,  beard,  and  snow,  I  at 
first  thought  that  he  had  put  a  violent  end  to  his  misery. 
A  careful  examination,  however,  of  the  mouth  and  head 
revealed  no  wound,  and,  releasing  the  pistol  from  its 
tenacious  death -grasp,  I  saw  that  only  three  of  its  cham- 
bers contained  cartridges,  which  were  all  loaded,  and  then 


FINDING   THE  BODIES.  335 

knew,  of  course,  that  he  could  not  have  harmed  himself, 
else  one  or  more  of  the  capsules  would  be  empty. 

[I  am  so  particular  in  noting  this  fact,  because  of  a 
painful  story  which  has  gone  the  rounds  of  the  press,  to 
the  effect  that  Dr.  Ambler  took  his  own  life.  This  is 
utterly  false.  The  doctor  was  ever  cheerful  and  fearless 
of  death,  and  I  know  he  faced  it  calmly  and  manfully  as 
he  had  done  before  on  the  field  of  battle.  He  came  of  a 
brave  family,  and  if  the  world  might  read  a  single  page 
in  his  private  journal  there  would  be  no  doubt  of  his 
unfaltering  courage  and  fortitude  to  the  bitter  end. 

I  believe  him  to  have  been  the  last  of  the  unfortunate 
party  to  perish.  When  Ah  Sam  had  been  stretched  out 
and  his  hands  crossed  upon  his  breast,  De  Long  appar- 
ently crawled  away  and  died.  Then,  solitary  and  famish- 
ing, in  that  desolate  scene  of  death,  Dr.  Ambler  seems 
to  have  taken  the  pistol  from  the  corpse  of  De  Long, 
doubtless  in  the  hope  that  some  bird  or  beast  might  come 
to  prey  upon  the  bodies  and  afford  him  food,  —  perhaps 
alone  to  protect  his  dead  comrades  from  molestation,  — 
in  either  case,  or  both,  there  he  kept  his  lone  watch  to 
the  last,  on  duty,  on  guard,  under  arms.] 

When  the  bodies  were  searched,  I  rolled  them,  with  the 
aid  of  the  natives,  in  a  piece  of  tent-cloth,  and  then  cov- 
ered them  with  snow,  for  I  could  not  as  yet  haul  them 
to  Mat  Vay.  The  faces  of  the  dead  were  remarkably 
well-preserved ;  they  had  all  the  appearance  of  marble, 
with  the  blush  frozen  in  their  cheeks.  Their  faces  were 
full,  for  the  process  of  freezing  had  slightly  puffed  them ; 
yet  this  was  not  true  of  their  limbs,  which  were  pitifully 
emaciated,  or  of  their  stomachs,  which  had  shrunk  into 
great  cavities.  Dr.  Ambler,  ostensibly  to  ease  the  gnaw- 
ing pangs  of  hunger,  had  wrapped  his  little  pocket  diary 
in  his  long  woolen  muffler,  and  then  thrust  this  great 
wad  under  the  waistband  of  his  trousers. 

From  the  reading  of  the  journal  I  now  expected  to 


336  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

find  the  balance  of  the  party  near  the  myaek,  or  where 
I  had  sighted  the  tent-poles.  I  therefore  started  the 
natives  to  digging,  telling  them  that  the  bumagas  and 
kinneagas  (papers  and  books)  were  there.  Exerting 
themselves  then  to  their  utmost,  they  soon  came  upon 
the  wood  and  ashes  of  the  fire-place,  when,  digging  around 
the  base  of  the  cone-shaped  pit,  they  presently  exhumed, 
much  to  their  delight,  a  tin  drinking-pot,  some  old  scraps 
of  clothing,  a  woolen  mitten,  and  two  tin  cases  of  books 
and  papers.  . 

Suddenly  the  two  men  scrambled  out  of  the  pit  as 
though  the  arch-fiend  himself  was  at  their  heels,  gasping, 
as  soon  as  they  could,  — 

"  Pomree,  pomree,  dwee  pomree  "  (the  dead,  the  dead, 
two  deads). 

Dropping  into  the  hole  I  saw  the  head  of  one  corpse 
partly  exposed,  and  the  feet  of  another;  and  then  ordered 
the  natives  to  continue  their  labors.  They  obeyed,  and 
finally  disclosed  the  back  and  shoulders  of  a  third.  It 
was  now  dark  and  the  snow  was  drifting  wildly,  so  I 
concluded  to  return  to  Mat  Vay  for  the  night,  and  send 
instant  word  to  Cass  Carta  for  the  rest  of  my  party  to 
join  me  here  and  assist  in  excavating  the  bodies. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE  BURIAL. 

Bringing  in  the  Dead.  —  Writing  under  Difficulties.  —  Selecting  a 
Burial  Ground. —  "Around  the  Corner."  —  The  Finding  of  Lee  and 
Kaack.  —  Monument  Hill.  —  Constructing  the  Coffin  and  Cross.  — 
Nindemann  discovers  Ericksen's  Hut.  —  Erecting  the  Tomb-Cairn. 
—  The  Simple  Obsequies.  —  A  Superstitious  Soldatski.  —  A  Yakut 
Bumaga. 

March  24th.  —  When  we  arrived  at  Mat  Vay  last 
night,  it  was  to  find  Bartlett  here.  I  at  once  dispatched 
Capiocan  after  Gronbeck  and  the  others,  and  wrote  out 
telegrams  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  the  Minister  at 
St.  Petersburg,  and  to  General  Tschernaieff,  of  which 
Gronbeck  will  make  the  necessary  translation.  The 
smoke  in  the  hut  is  blinding,  and  to  write  I  am  forced  to 
lie  on  my  stomach  with  my  head  towards  the  fire,  and 
the  ink  planted  in  the  ashes  to  keep  it  from  freezing. 

This  morning  I  sent  Nindemann  and  Bartlett  to  com- 
plete the  exhumations  which  I  began  yesterday.  Bart- 
lett was  caught  out  in  the  storm  and  beset  by  it  for 
forty-eight  hours.  He  ran  north  until  he  encountered 
our  tracks,  and  met  the  natives  who  were  carrying  fish 
to  Cass  Carta,  when  he  returned  to  Mat  Vay  via  Qu 
Vina.  He  had  tried  to  camp,  but  the  wind  heaped  the 
snow  upon  his  tent,  and  broke  it  down. 

This  evening  Nindemann  and  Bartlett  came  in,  bring- 
ing the  bodies  of  De  Long,  Ambler  and  Ah  Sam.     We 

wrapped  them  in  the  tent-cloth,  and  covered  them,  close 
22 


338  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

bv  the  hut,  with  snow.  The  other  two  bodies  are  those 
of  Gortz  and  Boyd. 

March  25th.  —  I  started  the  party  off  again  this  morn- 
ing to  continue  the  disinterments,  Gronbeck,  who  has 
arrived,  along  with  the  rest.  It  is  twenty  versts  across 
the  bay  to  Pomree  Moose  (Dead  Cape),  as  the  natives 
have  already  named  the  disastrous  point,  and  as  it  will 
doubtless  be  known  hereafter  among  them. 

Gronbeck  returned  at  noon  with  the  bodies  of  Boyd 
and  Gortz  ;  and  towards  evening  Bartlett  and  Ninde- 
mann  followed  with  Iversen,  Collins,  and  Dressier.  They 
have  not  yet  found  the  ensign. 

March  Z6lh.  —  I  finished  the  preparation  of  my  dis- 
patches to-day,  and  Gronbeck  having  translated  them  set 
out  for  Cass  Carta,  where  he  met  and  forwarded  to  me 
Captain  Bubokoff,  who  will  act  as  courier  as  far  as  Belun. 

Bartlett  and  Nindemann  returned  this  evening  from 
Pomree  Moose  with  the  pistol  which  Chipp  gave  to  Ah 
Sam.  They  have  not  been  able  to  discover  Lee  and 
Kaack,  or  the  ensign.  Bubokoff  arrived  here  from  Cass 
Carta  about  ten  P.  M.,  ready  for  dutjr ;  but  I  am  pro- 
gressing very  slowly  in  my  effort  to  copy  the  record  of 
the  last  thirty  days  from  the  journal.  The  smoke  is 
blinding,  and  my  fingers  are  so  blistered  and  swollen 
that  it  is  with  difficulty  I  can  hold  the  pen  at  all  —  and 
when  I  do  it  is  only  for  an  instant  at  a  time,  while  I 
write  one  or  two  words. 

The  clothing  of  the  dead  is  badly  burnt  or  scorched, 
they  lay  so  close  to  the  fire;  and  those  who  perished  first 
were  stripped  of  their  rags  by  the  half-naked  survivors. 
When  Mr.  Collins  died  some  one  covered  his  face  with  a 
shirt.  Boyd  lay  almost  in  the  fire,  but  though  his  clothes 
are  scorched  through  his  flesh  is  not  burnt.  There  is 
not  a  whole  moccasin  left  among  them,  or  a  piece  of  hide 
or  skin,  save  the  arm  and  shoulder  of  a  coat  found  under 
one  of  the  men,  —  the  rest  of  which  was  evidently  cut  off 


THE  BURIAL.  339 

the  body  for  food.  A  strip  of  a  moccasin  leg  was  also  dis- 
covered on  top  of  the  bank  —  everything  else  had  been 
eaten. 

March  27th.  —  Bubokoff  started  for  Belun  to-day  with 
my  dispatches.  I  shall  soon  complete,  thank  God !  my 
task  of  transcribing  the  journal,  and  shall  no  doubt  be 
able  to  leave  this  horrible  smoke-house  to-morrow,  and 
prosecute  the  search  for  Lee,  Kaack  and  Alexia.  I  have 
little  hope,  however,  of  finding  Alexia,  who  was  buried 
in  the  ice,  for  I  can  see  where  the  river  bed  has  tumbled 
in  and  run  out  in  several  places.  But  I  must  find  Lee 
and  Kaack,  if  I  have  to  excavate  the  whole  bank.  It 
will  be  necessary,  in  burying  or  caching  the  dead,  to 
transport  them  to  a  point  about  five  versts  to  the  south- 
ward of  Mat  Vay  —  the  foot-hill  of  a  mountain  which 
extends  into  the  bay  and  forms  the  left  bank  of  the  river, 
looking  north.  All  other  land  in  the  vicinity,  as  indeed 
the  entire  Delta,  will  be  shortly  inundated  by  the 
spring  floods.  The  crest  of  the  hill,  or  head  of  the  great 
whale-back  mountain,  is  nearly  four  hundred  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea,  and  is  visible  in  clear  weather  for 
twenty  miles  in  any  direction  to  the  north,  northeast,  or 
northwest.  Here  I  shall  build  a  box  with  the  timber  of 
the  flat-boat,  which,  with  the  bodies,  we  shall  have  to 
haul  twenty  miles. 

I  was  troubled  about  our  inability  to  find  Kaack  and 
Lee,  and  an  idea  kept  running  in  my  head,  as  I  read  and 
re-read  the  journal,  that  they  were  the  two  men  who  had 
been  carried  around  the  corner.  But  what  corner?  The 
bank  ran  nearly  northeast  and  southwest,  and  there  were 
no  corners  in  it,  unless  some  fissure  be  meant  as  such. 
The  snow  had  been  dug  out  away  to  the  north  of  the 
myack,  but  very  little  to  the  south  of  it ;  and  finally  it 
occurred  to  me  that  as  all  the  gales  were  mentioned  as 
blowing  from  the  southward,  they  would  naturally  set  up 
their  tent-cloth  to  the  southward  of  the  poles,  and  camp 


340  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

to  the  northward  of  them  ;  so  when  Lee  and  Kaack  died, 
and  the  remnant  of  the  party  were  too  weak  to  carry  the 
bodies  out  upon  the  ice  for  burial,  they  simply  took  them 
"  around  the  corner  "  —  of  the  tent. 

Convinced  of  this,  I  seated  myself  upon  a  sled,  and 
followed  Bartlett  and  Nindemann  to  the  scene  of  their 
labors,  arriving  as  soon  as  they.  I  informed  them  of 
my  theory,  and  staked  out  with  my  staff  a  goodly  plot 
to  the  southward  of  the  tent  for  them  to  excavate.  I 
then  returned  to  Mat  Vay  and  finished  a  sketch  of  the 
tomb-cairn  to  be  erected  on  "  Monument  Hill."  When 
Nindemann  and  Bartlett  came  in  they  brought  with  them 
the  remains  of  Lee  and  Kaack,  having  exhumed  them 
where  I  indicated.  They  also  found  the  ensign,  mahog- 
any medicine  box,  hatchet,  etc.,  so  that  I  have  now  se- 
cured all  the  bodies  (save  those  of  Ericksen  and  Alexia), 
and  the  records  of  the  expedition,  which  are  packed  in  tin 
boxes.  The  effects  of  the  dead  we  have  carefully  done 
up  in  separate  packages,  marked  with  the  owner's  name. 
Nindemann  and  Bartlett  searched  in  my  absence  the  bal- 
ance of  the  bodies,  and  turned  over  to  me  all  the  articles 
they  found  upon  them,  which  I  have  stored  in  a  mess- 
box. 

And  now  that  the  search  is  over.,  the  sad  duty  remains 
to  us  of  burying  our  dead  shipmates.  The  earth  is  frozen 
too  hard  and  deep  to  be  excavated,  so  I  shall  follow -the 
Yakut  custom  of  surface  interment  beyond  the  reach  of 
the  floods. 

The  burial  ground  is  a  bold  promontory  with  a  per- 
pendicular face  overlooking  the  frozen  Polar  Sea.  The 
rocky  head  of  the  mountain,  cold  and  austere  as  the 
Sphinx,  frowns  upon  the  spot  where  the  party  perished ; 
and  considering  its  weather-beaten  and  time-worn  aspect, 
it  is  altogether  fitting  that  here  they  should  rest.  I  at- 
tained the  crest  of  the  promontory  by  making  a  detour 
of  several  miles  to  the  southward  of  its  majestic  front, 


THE  BURIAL.  341 

and  then  toiling  slowly  to  the  top.  Here  I  laid  out  by 
compass  a  due  north  and  south  line,  and  one  due  east 
and  west,  and  where  they  intersected,  I  planted  the 
cross  which  marks  the  tomb  of  my  comrades.  The  moun- 
tain top  is  swept  almost  clean  of  snow  by  the  fierce 
winds  which  are  forever  blowing  at  such  altitudes ;  and 
the  massive  rocky  face  is  riven  and  torn.  For  the  snow 
melting  in  summer  runs  into  the  crevices,  and  then  in 
season  Jack  Frost,  the  subtle  mining  engineer,  sets  his 
machinery  in  motion,  bursting  the  great  rock  bed  into 
myriad  fragments,  so  that  its  surface,  though  flat  as  a 
table,  is  broken  for  a  depth  of  several  feet  into  the  sem- 
blance of  regular  masonry  work. 

With  much  difficulty  I  picked  and  pried  out  the  rock 
from  the  centre  of  my  cross  lines,  until  I  had  uncovered 
a  pit  about  three  feet  deep  and  two  feet  in  diameter. 
While  I  was  thus  employed  the  rest  of  the  force  was 
tearing  apart  the  flat-boat  and  hauling  the  planks  for  the 
cairn  coffin.  These  planks,  seven  inches  thick,  rough- 
hewn  and  fastened  to  the  boat  frame  by  means  of  trun- 
nels,  were  sawn  off,  and  those  about  twenty-two  inches 
wide,  which  formed  the  sides  of  the  boat,  were  selected 
for  the  ends  and  sides  of  the  coffin,  which,  when  mortised 
and  tenoned  together,  was  seven  feet  wide,  twenty-two 
feet  long,  and  twenty-two  inches  deep.  With  the  remain- 
ing timber  I  made  a  cover  or  lid  of  planks  seven  inches 
thick,  from  the  centre  of  which  arose  the  cross,  twenty- 
five  feet  high,  with  cross-arms  twelve  feet  long.  This  I 
shaped  from  a  round  spar  of  spruce  thirteen  inches  at 
the  base,  and  tapering  to  eleven  inches  in  a  length  of 
forty  feet,  which  I  found  in  the  bay  water-logged  and 
frozen  in,  and  hauled  to  Monument  Point  on  two  sleds, 
drawn  by  sixty  dogs.  The  upright,  which  I  left  round, 
but  barked,  was  cut  from  the  butt  end  of  the  spar.  The 
cross-piece  was  hewn  and  faced  fair  to  receive  the  inscrip- 
tion, and  it  was  dressed  taperingly  away  from  the  centre, 


342  IN   THE  LENA    DELTA. 

where  it  was  hollowed  out  to  fit  in  a  corresponding  notch, 
in  the  vertical  post,  the  two  being  fastened  by  a  wooden 
key  after  the  cross  was  raised. 

The  timber  was  first  hauled  to  Mat  Vay,  where  with 
axe,  saw,  and  chisel,  brought  from  Yakutsk,  the  coffin 
and  cross  were  fitted  together,  and  the  inscriptions  cut, 
which  include  the  names  of  the  dead  and  a  brief  state- 
ment of  the  time,  place,  and  cause  of  their  death.  Gron- 
beck  and  myself  attended  to  this  part  of  the  work,  deeply 
cutting  in  the  names  with  chisel  and  mallet  in  block  let- 
ters two  and  a  half  by  one  and  a  half  inches  square  ;  the 
balance  of  the  inscription  being  comprised  in  two  lines, 
eight  feet  long,  of  letters  four  inches  square.  These  let- 
ters are  all  regularly  formed,  spaced,  and  cut  to  a  depth 
of  a  little  more  than  one  quarter  of  an  inch. 

When  everything  was  ready  for  the  burial,  I  dis- 
patched Nindemann  with  a  dog-team  and  CapioCan  as 
driver  in  search  of  the  hut  where  Ericksen  died,  with 
orders  to  bring  back  with  him  the  epitaph  board,  record, 
gun,  and  ammunition,  which  had  been  abandoned  there. 
His  journey  was  unsuccessful,  and  he  only  found  the 
pan  and  lid  of  the  fire-pot,  which  the  party  had  thrown 
away  on  its  march.  The  day  after  his  return  he  set  forth 
once  more,  and,  remaining  out  over  night,  came  back  the 
following  day  with  the  objects  of  his  search.  The  in- 
scription on  the  board  read  :  — 

"  In  Memory 

H.  H.  ERICKSEN 
Oct.  6,  1881 

U.  S.  S.  Jeannette  " 

De  Long's  record  was  as  follows  :  — 

"  Friday,  October  7,  1881. 

"  The  undermentioned  officers  and  men  of  the  late  U.  S. 
Steamer  Jeannette  are  leaving  here  this  morning  to  make  a 
forced  march  to  Ku  Mark  Surt  or  some  other  settlement  on  the 
Lena  River.     We  reached  here  on  Tuesday,  October  4th,  with 


•     THE  BURIAL.  343 

a  disabled  comrade,  H.  II.  Ericksen  (seaman),  who  died  yester- 
day morning,  and  was  buried  in  the  river  at  noon.  His  death 
resulted  from  frost-bite  and  exhaustion,  due  to  consequent  ex- 
posure. The  rest  of  us  are  well,  but  have  no  provisions  left,  — 
having  eaten  our  last  this  morning. 

"  George  W.  De  Long, 

"  Lieu't.    Com'd  'g,  et  al." 

Meanwhile  the  teams  were  engaged  in  the  transporta- 
tion of  the  coffin  and  cross  to  the  mountain-top.  Ar- 
rived there,  with  the  wind  blowing  half  a  gale,  I  found 
it  a  greater  undertaking  than  I  had  imagined  to  raise 
this  round  stick  of  timber  in  place.  It  was  impossible  to 
work  without  mittens  in  the  freezing  air ;  we  had  no 
rigging,  other  than  the  guys  which  I  improvised  from 
the  dog-traces,  and  a  forked  stick  for  a  rest.  There  were 
but  three  of  us  who  spoke  English,  —  Gronbeck,  Bartlett, 
and  myself,  —  and  the  natives  could  not  grasp  the  situ- 
ation or  my  orders ;  nor  did  they  seem  to  appreciate  the 
great  weight  of  the  spar  until  they  saw  it  swaying  back 
and  forth,  when  they  all  ran  wildly  away  from  it.  But 
finally,  after  many  narrow  escapes,  the  cross  was  raised, 
and  slewing  it  around  to  face  the  east  I  quickly  chocked 
it  in  place  with  four  large  stones.  Then,  sighting  it  in  a 
perfectly  upright  position,  I  filled  in  the  base  with  small 
rocks,  pouring  over  them  a  bucketful  of  ice  water,  which 
soon  froze  and  cemented  them  together.  The  box  being 
tightly  mortised  and  wedged,  and  the  round  planks  pre- 
pared to  close  in  the  top,  we  next  covered  the  bottom 
with  brushwood  and  some  old  rags,  and  on  these  we 
laid  our  poor  dead  comrades,  arranged  in  the  order  of 
their  names  as  inscribed  on  the  cross,  with  Captain  De 
Long  at  the  southern  end  and  Ah  Sam  at  the  northern 
end  of  the  coffin.  They  were  all  stretched  out  with  their 
heads  to  the  west,  and  the  faces  of  those  with  whom  it 
was  possible  were  turned  to  the  east  and  the  rising  sun. 
Nothing  was  left  upon  the  persons  of  the  dead,  save  a 


344  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

large  bronze  crucifix  belonging  to  Mr.  Collins.  When 
Bartlett  and  Nindemann,  searching  the  remains,  inquired 
if  they  should  remove  this,  I  was  at  first  inclined  to  an- 
swer in  the  affirmative,  thinking  that  his  relatives  would 
doubtless  wish  to  preserve  so  valuable  a  souvenir ;  but, 
reflecting  for  a  moment,  I  decided,  and  ordered,  that  as 
part  of  his  religion  it  should  be  buried  with  him. 

It  was  a  memorable  sight.  The  long  train  of  dog-teams 
winding  their  tortuous  way  across  the  tundra  and  ice- 
field, and  up  the  steep  ascent  to  the  lone  mountain-top, 
where,  in  the  awful  silence  and  solitude  of  that  vast 
waste  of  Arctic  snow,  with  no  requiem  but  the  howling 
of  the  remorseless  storm,  which  cruelly  cut  our  faces,  we 
tenderly  laid  our  dead  comrades  to  rest,  —  as  I  then  sup- 
posed, forever.  There,  in  sight  of  the  spot  where  they 
fell,  the  scene  of  their  suffering  and  heroic  endeavor, 
where  the  everlasting  snows  would  be  their  winding 
sheet  and  the  fierce  polar  blasts  which  pierced  their 
poor  unclad  bodies  in  life  would  wail  their  wild  dirge 
through  all  time,  —  there  we  buried  them,  and  surely 
heroes  never  found  fitter  resting-place.  We  were  over- 
awed by  the  very  simplicity  of  the  obsequies,  the  oppres- 
sive stillness,  the  wonderful  wilderness  of  white  rolling 
endlessly  around  us ;  and,  more  than  all,  by  our  sorrow- 
ing memories  of  the  dead.  No  unhallowed  lip  mumbled 
an  unmeaning  prayer,  but  only  a  low  "  good-by,"  "  sleep 
well,"  broke  the  silence,  as,  natives  and  all,  we  took  our 
last  look. 

Then  covering  the  bodies  with  bits  of  canvas  and 
some  other  material  at  hand,  we  laid  the  planks  across 
the  box,  weighting  them  down  with  stones,  and  night 
had  fallen.  The  day  following  the  Yakuts  hauled  load 
after  load  of  round  timber  from  the  flats  and  sands  below. 
Large  logs  were  rolled  in  at  the  sides  and  ends  of  the 
box,  and  a  pyramidal  frame-work  erected  therefrom,  to 
lie  upon  and  strengthen  it.     A  ridge-pole  was  notched 


THE  BURIAL.  345 

into  the  sides  of  the  upright  post,  and  diagonals  fitted  to 
brace  the  cross  and  support  the  structure  built  around  it. 
The  top  and  sides  were  then  covered  with  round  timber, 
resting  upon  and  against  the  ridge-pole,  and  completing  a 
frame  about  twelve  feet  wide,  thirty  feet  long,  and  nine 
feet  high.  Upon  this  we  heaped  the  huge  rocks,  some  of 
more  than  a  hundred  weight,  which  Jack  Frost  had  so 
cunningly  quarried  for  us,  until  the  entire  cache  was 
roofed  in  ;  and  it  was  my  intention  to  cover  it  the  follow- 
ing summer  with  sods  from  the  tundra,  and  to  start  the 
Arctic  willow  to  grow  upon  it. 

By  this  time  Nindemann  had  returned  from  his  jour- 
ney to  Ericksen's  hut,  and  the  only  remaining  thing  to 
be  done  was  the  elevation  of  the  cross-piece  into  place ; 
which,  after  several  ineffectual  attempts,  we  finally  ac- 
complished. Nindemann  then  drove  in  the  wooden  key, 
and  a  cross-key  to  keep  the  other  from  working  out,  and 
—  poor  fellow  !  —  in  so  doing  he  froze  his  fingers,  nose, 
and  ears  ;  for  it  was  bitterly  cold,  and  the  wind  was 
sharper  than  a  two-edged  sword.  I  completed  the  burial 
April  7th,  and  am  altogether  satisfied  with  the  work. 
The  tomb  is  the  largest  structure  north  of  Belun,  and 
the  natives  hauling  fish  from  Bukoff  Moose  for  my  coast- 
wise search  for  Chipp  told  me  that  they  saw  the  Bulchoi 
Crass  Americanski  twenty  versts  away. 

Bubokoff  and  Geordi  Nicolai  returned  from  Belun  a 
few  days  ago,  and  I  have  sent  them  to  Cass  Carta  to 
arrange  the  provisions  for  my  departure  to  the  Alanek. 
Yapheme,  our  "  Red  Fiend,"  tried  to  impress  the  Ya- 
kuts with  his  great  valor  and  importance,  having  been  a 
soldatski  in  the  Russian  army.  But  Capiocan,  who  is  a 
wag,  entertained  doubts  of  his  courage,  and  often  assured 
Yapheme  that  the  pomree  Americanski  tying  outside  in 
the  snow  would  arise  some  time  and  enter  the  hut  to  pay 
their  respects  to  their  living  soldatski  friend.  At  each 
sally,  Yapheme  would  look  very  brave,  and  say,  "  Da,  da, 


346  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

(yes,  yes)  ;  the  good  sailors  could  visit  the  good  soldier 
whenever  they  thought  best."  Yet  I  observed  that  when 
we  all  left  camp  on  any  duty,  Yapheme  did  not  care  to 
remain  behind  alone  with  the  dead,  but  invariably  man- 
aged to  accompany  us  ;  and  when  busy  about  the  hut 
Capiocan  set  little  traps  to  frighten  him,  throwing  sticks 
or  causing  the  deer-skin  curtain  at  the  door  to  sway  in 
and  out,  greatly  to  the  misery  of  Yapheme  and  the 
amusement  of  the  natives. 

On  one  occasion  Capiocan,  procuring  a  gun,  wrapped 
himself  in  some  old  tent-cloth,  and  backed  into  the  hut, 
calling  in  sepulchral  tones,  — 

"  Drastie,  drastie ;  Yapheme  kack  Americanski  sol- 
datski." 

By  this  time,  the  nerves  of  the  valiant  exile  were  so 
unstrung  that,  seeing  the  apparition  with  an  American 
gun,  and  hearing  its  unearthly  voice,  he  almost  died  of 
terror,  and  with  an  unsoldierly  shriek  plunged  across 
the  fire-place  and  into  the  farthest  corner,  upsetting 
the  fish-kettle  in  his  flight.  Of  course  we  were  all  enter- 
tained, but  poor  Yapheme  protested  that  the  joke  must 
not  be  repeated,  else  soldatski -like  he  would  seize  the 
gun  and  shoot  his  tormentor. 

It  was  at  this  juncture,  and  we  had  just  ceased  laugh- 
ing, when  a  strange  noise  was  heard  without.  I  saw  Ya- 
pheme steal  a  glance  at  those  around  him  and  shuffle 
away  from  the  door.  There  was  a  movement  at  the  back 
of  the  hut,  where  lay  the  dead,  and  presently  some  one 
ascended  the  side,  and  an  instant  later  a  face  swollen  and 
blackened  with  frost-bite,  smoke,  and  scabs  peered  through 
the  hole  in  the  roof,  and  cried  out,  "  Drastie,  drastie  !  " 
At  the  same  time  our  deer-skin  curtain  was  pushed  aside, 
and  Bubokoff  appeared  in  the  door.  This  was  too  much 
for  Yapheme.  Dropping  on  his  knees  in  front  of  me,  he 
fell  to  crossing  himself  as  though  his  life  and  peace  there- 
after depended  upon  the  rapidity  of  his  motions.     We 


THE  BURIAL.  347 

all  burst  into  a  roar  of  laughter,  and  thenceforth  the 
would-be  warrior  had  no  peace  on  the  score  of  his  valor 
and  affection  for  the  pomree  Americanski. 

I  soon  had  all  the  effects  of  the  dead,  together  with 
the  books,  papers,  etc.,  etc.,  packed  in  a  box  ready  for 
shipment  to  Yakutsk ;  for  it  would  be  decidedly  unsafe 
to  keep  these  relics  on  the  Delta  during  the  approaching 
season  of  floods.  So,  leaving  a  small  supply  of  fish  at 
Mat  Vay  for  future  emergency,  I  decided  to  dispatch 
the  whole  of  my  force  to  Cass  Carta,  as  a  more  central 
base  of  supplies  from  which  to  start  the  three  parties  on 
a  final  search  along  the  coast  for  Chipp.  The  plan  I 
had  in  view  was  to  send  Bartlett  and  Nindemann  with 
four  sleds  and  as  many  native  guides  up  the  river  Ka- 
goastock  to  Cape  Barkin,  the  noi'theastern  point  of  the 
Delta,  there  to  separate,  Bartlett  following  along  the 
east  coast  as  far  south  as  Jamaveioch,  where  he  would 
await  my  coming.  Nindemann  was  to  search  the  north 
coast  to  the  northern  mouth  of  the  river  proper,  and 
then,  if  his  provisions  were  exhausted,  to  proceed  to 
North  Belun,  where  I  had  stored  one  hundred  fish  for  our 
use.  If,  however,  his  provisions  held  out,  he  was  to  jour- 
ney along  the  coast  as  far  as  the  river  Ketack,  and  then 
follow  it  south  to  North  Belun,  and  thence  on  to  Cass 
Carta,  where  he  would  abide  my  return.  The  course  I 
laid  out  for  myself  was  along  the  western  discharge  of 
the  river  by  way  of  Long  Island,  searching  the  coast-line 
and  visiting  the  villages  until  I  arrived  at  the  river  Ala- 
nek.  Then  turning  on  my  track  I  would  come  eastward 
as  far  as  the  western  end  of  Long  Island,  at  the  village 
of  Turak,  and  thence  along  the  coast,  north  and  west, 
to  the  river  Ketack,  down  which,  via  North  Belun,  I  would 
journey  to  Cass  Carta.  From  this  point  it  was  my  in- 
tention to  repair  with  the  rest  of  my  party  to  Jamave- 
ioch, and  continue  the  search  the  same  season  to  the 
river  Jan  a. 


348  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

I  had  procured  guides  for  all  the  Delta,  except  compe- 
tent ones  for  the  north  and  east  coasts.  Simeon  Alock 
and  Yasilli  Kool  Gar  were  the  two  I  selected  to  accom- 
pany Bartlett ;  and  as  guides  for  Nindemann  I  settled 
upon  Starry  Nicolai  and  Simeon  Tomat.  So  I  now  im- 
patiently awaited  at  Mat  Vay  the  coming  of  the  sleds 
from  Arii ;  and,  as  there  were  some  arrangements  which 
I  desired  to  make  at  Cass  Carta,  I,  at  length,  determined 
to  start  immediately,  leaving  one  of  the  yamshicks  be- 
hind to  inform  Vasilli  Kool  Gar  and  Simeon  Aloek  of 
our  whereabouts.  I  appointed  Capiocan  to  this  office, 
but  he  declined  it  fervently,  and  we  all  laughed  at  him, 
for  it  was  evident  that  he  feared  the  spirits  of  the  dead. 
Still  he  found  a  way  out  of  the  difficulty,  saying :  — 

"  Yakut  bumaga,  Manor  "  (Yakut  letter,  Major). 

What  about  it,  I  asked  ?  Why,  he  would  write  one  to 
Vasilli  Kool  Gar  and  Simeon  Alock,  directing  them  to 
follow  us  to  Cass  Carta.  This  was  all  I  wanted,  and  so 
gave  orders  to  harness  the  teams  ;  and  when  everything 
was  ready  for  a  start,  Capiocan  proceeded  to  write  his 
Yakut  letter.  He  made  four  tracks  alongside  of  each 
other  to  represent  our  four  sleds,  and,  driving  a  forked 
stick  in  the  snow,  rested  a  long  pole  in  it  pointing  to- 
wards Cass  Carta.  He  then  drove  in  another  large  stick, 
inclined  in  the  same  direction  and  supported  by  a  smaller 
stick,  and  called  it  Malior,  meaning  myself.  Shorter 
sticks,  one  for  each  man  in  the  party,  were  arranged  in 
like  manner,  Capiocan  explaining  that  they  represented 
us  in  the  act  of  walking ;  and  between  the  tracks  he  set 
up  some  more  in  two  rows,  as  the  savaccas  (dogs),  and 
his  letter  was  written. 

The  ride  to  Cass  Carta  was  a  cold  one,  but  we  arrived 
betimes,  and  I  at  once  busied  myself  in  fitting  out  the 
three  search  parties,  sending  one  hundred  fish  to  the  west 
and  one  hundred  to  the  north  for  the  use  of  myself  or 
Nindemann.      On  the  morrow,   sure   enough,   in   came 


THE  BURIAL.  349 

Vasilli  Kool  Gar,  and  Simeon  and  his  sons,  with  four 
dog-teams  and  a  supply  of  fish.  They  had  stopped  at 
Mat  Vay,  and  Vasilli's  mouth  stretched  into  a  monstrous 
laugh  as  he  said,  "Yakut  bumaga."  But  Capiocan  was 
delighted  that  his  letter  had  been  so  readily  understood, 
and  told  me  that  I  wrote  with  ink  and  paper,  but  he 
used  sticks. 

I  learned  from  Simeon  that  it  was  he  who  built  the 
hut  in  which  Ericksen  died  ;  but  as  the  country  round 
about  was  very  poor  in  game,  he  had  never  completed, 
but  abandoned  it.  He  and  Vasilli  also  assured  me  that 
the  huts  at  Barkin  had  not  been  inhabited  for  many 
years,  and  that  they  had  not  visited  them  for  two  sum- 
mers. They  were  both  well  acquainted  with  the  coast, 
but  knew  little,  they  said,  about  the  interior  of  the 
Archipelago,  as  the  Russians  term  the  islands  of  the 
Lena  Delta.  "  Paddy  "  Achin  accompanied  Vasilli,  so  I 
was  now  well  supplied  with  yamshicks  for  my  journey  to 
the  west,  "Paddy"  being  quite  at  home  in  these  parts, 
and  Geordi  Nicolai  being  the  son  of  the  late  golivar  of 
Jaolak,  a  western  settlement.  And  so,  on  April  10th,  I 
started  Bartlett  and  Kindemann  towards  Barkin. 


CHAPTER   XXV. 

SEARCHING  FOR   CHIPP. 

Mr.  Gilder.  —  Starting  the  Records  off.  —  Kisjolak.  —  Sava.  —  Sabas 
Kokoo.  —  Turak.  —  Jaolak.  —  The  "  Little  Foxes."  —  Chanker. 

—  The  Alanek  Country  and  Natives.  —  The  Village  of  Alanek.  — 
The  Fate  of  Pronehishcheff. —  A  Trip  to  the  Graves  of  Pron- 
chishcheff's  Party.  —  A  Coastwise  Search.  —  Yakut  Divorce  Laws. 

—  Our  Wretched  Dogs.  —  Koobalak.  —  At  Cass  Carta  again. — 
Nindemann's  and  Bartlett's  Searches.  —  Journeying  back  to  Jama- 
veloch.  —  Native  Coffins  and  Mode  of  Burial. 

April  10th.  —  This  morning  I  received  a  letter  from 
Pay  Clerk  Gilder  of  the  Rodgers,  who  says  in  it  that 
he  is  a  correspondent  of  the  "  New  York  Herald."  The 
message  was  brought  to  me  by  "  Pat "  Malloi,  the  rosy- 
cheeked  son  of  Simeon  Alock.  He  came  through  from 
Bukoff  Moose  with  a  team  of  eight  young  dogs  in  four 
days  without  a  single  halt  for  rest  or  food.  So  I  gave 
little  "  Pat "  some  tobacco  as  an  extra  reward  for  his 
fidelity.  He  says  that  the  starosti  furnished  Gilder  with 
a  team  of  fourteen  dogs  to  transport  him  to  Cass  Carta, 
where  in  all  probability  he  will  arrive  to-morrow  evening. 

I  have  therefore  postponed  my  departure  for  the  Ala- 
nek, and  sent  Gronbeck  with  a  good  dog-team  to  Mat 
Vay  to  meet  Mr.  Gilder  and  bring  him  forward.  This 
knocks  a  hole  in  my  plans,  as  I  have  only  three  hundred 
and  ninety-four  fish  left  in  my  store-house,  and  each  day's 
detention  here  costs  me  fifty  fish  for  the  dogs  alone.  I 
may  have  to  haul  more  fish  from  Bukoff. 

The  traveling  season  will  be  over  in  twenty  days,  so  I 


SEARCHING  FOR    CHIPP.  351 

determined  to  disencumber  myself  of  till  supernumeraries 
and  dispatch  Bubokoff  and  Kolinkin  to  Yakutsk.  For 
we  may  be  detained  on  the  Delta  all  summer,  and  then, 
too,  it  is  necessary  that  I  advance  the  records  and  relics 
to  a  place  of  safety,  and  these  two  proteges  of  General 
Tschernaieff  will  be  responsible  for  them.  The  box  in 
which  I  have  packed  all  the  articles  is  quite  strong,  being 
dovetailed,  covered  with  raw  hide,  and  sealed.  I  gave 
Bubokoff  and  Kolinkin  both  written  orders  and  instruc- 
tions, and  will  send  by  them  explanatory  letters  to  Gen- 
eral Tschernaieff. 

I  must  procure  more  fish  for  the  dogs.  I  had  hoped 
to  finish  my  work  within  the  sledding  season,  but  now 
fear  that  I  shall  be  "jacksoned"  all  summer.  I  wonder 
how  long  I  must  wait  to  see  Mr.  Gilder  ?  and  for  what  ? 

April  Ylth.  —  Bright  sunshine,  but  the  wind  is  rising 
and  the  snow  is  drifting.  It  seemed  cruel  to  start  off 
Bubokoff  and  Kolinkin,  but  if  I  had  allowed  them  they 
would  have  stayed  forever.  I  gathered  together  the 
teams  of  eleven  dogs  each  and  got  them  under  way  by 
noon ;  but  I  expect  they  will  halt  at  Qu  Vina  until  the 
weather  clears. 

The  hut  is  filled  with  smoke  which  so  blinds  me  that 
I  cannot  open  my  eyes;  and  altogether  I  am  very  much 
disgusted  with  the  cause  of  my  delay. 

April  Xlth.  —  A  calm  and  beautiful  morning,  just  the 
time  to  travel;  and  here  I  sit  in  idleness — waiting  for 
what  or  whom  ?  Gronbeck  returned  this  evening  without 
Mr.  Gilder ;  so  I  have  lost  three  days  for  naught,  and, 
besides,  may  have  to  keep  Gilder  all  summer. 

April  \Z(h.  —  I  finally  succeeded  this  morning  in  setting 
out  for  Kigolak  and  the  west,  with  two  teams  of  thirteen 
and  fifteen  dogs.  Neither  team  is  satisfactory  ;  the  larger 
one  being  fagged  out  and  foot-sore,  and  the  smaller  one 
composed  of  scrubs  and  pups.  I  have  worn  out  all  the 
dogs  on  the  Delta,  and  the  natives  are  complaining  of  the 


352  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

destruction.  My  yamshicks  are  Geordi  Nicolai  and 
"Paddy"  Acbin. 

We  reached  Kigolak  and  halted  for  tea,  while  I  saw 
Tomat  Constantine  in  reference  to  sending  our  deer  to 
Cass  Carta.  This  is  their  feeding-ground,  and  I  sent 
word  to  La  Kentie  Shamoola  to  carry  one  hundred  fish 
to  the  northward  for  the  use  of  my  teams  on  our  return. 
The  fish  will  be  cached  where  "  Paddy"  can  find  them. 

Leaving  Kigolak  I  journeyed  west  about  ten  versts  to 
a  Tunguse  village  of  three  or  four  miserable  little  huts 
barely  visible  above  the  snow.  The  natives  were  watch- 
ing for  wild  deer,  and  had  a  gun  set  with  a  lock-string  to 
shoot  at  them.  The}'  told  me  that  two  of  my  tame  deer 
had  starved  to  death,  but  I  believe  they  were  shot  for 
food,  as  the  people  look  very  hungry.  This  place  is 
called  Sava.  One  small  hut  contained  twenty  wretched 
natives. 

Running  west  another  ten  versts,  we  came  upon  a  sin- 
gle Yakut  hut,  known  as  Sabas  Kokoo,  where  a  man,  his 
wife,  and  little  boy  were  fishing  in  a  small  lake  and  river 
which  empty  into  the  western  branch  of  the  Lena.  Here 
we  had  tea,  boiling  a  fish  for  ourselves  and  scantily  feed- 
ing the  dogs  ;  for  we  shall  travel  all  night,  or  until  we 
reach  Turak. 

Arrived  at  Turak  about  four  A.  M.,  and  turned  in. 

April  14ith.  —  Turak  is  the  wreck  of  a  once  prosperous 
village.  There  are  two  or  three  good  huts  left  standing 
among  the  ruins  of  many  others  ;  a  little  church  ;  and  a 
large  cemetery  of  perhaps  two  hundred  graves.  An  old 
woman  and  a  lad  were  the  only  souls  we  found  in  the 
village ;  all  the  other  inhabitants  are  off  fishing.  Geordi 
Nicolai  pointed  to  the  tall  cross  in  the  centre  of  the 
graveyard,  and  said :  "Yakuts  pomree  manorga  "  (many 
dead  Yakuts).  Taking  a  brief  sleep,  and  some  tea  and 
fish,  I  gave  the  old  woman  a  little  tabae  (tobacco),  and 
set  out  for  Jaolak.      A  cold  keen  wind  from  the  west 


SEARCHING  FOR    CHIPP.  353 

blew  through  the  mountain  gorges,  and  swept  us  side- 
ways. The  dogs  exhibit  signs  of  weariness,  and  are 
dropping  out  of  harness,  for  yesterday's  work  was  ap- 
parently too  much  for  them.  We  are  now  within  the 
hunting-ground  of  the  Kericks,  father  and  son. 

The  old  woman  at  Turak  had  heard  nothing  of  the 
loss  of  our  boats  and  men,  and  listened  in  awe,  with 
mouth  ajar,  as  Geordi  Nicolai  told  her  all  about  us.  We 
have  turned  five  of  our  dogs  adrift,  and  others  are  bleed- 
ing badly  at  the  feet.  I  have  worked  them  too  constantly 
during  the  past  twenty  days,  but  it  can't  be  helped.  I 
must  go  on,  and  dogs  are  the  only  means  of  conveyance. 
Poor  dogs !  Poor  natives !  Poor  all  around !  We  crawled 
into  Jaolak  at  a  snail's  pace  long  after  dark,  cold,  hungry, 
and  miserable. 

I  find  that  sleeping  in  the  huts  is  not  conducive  to 
one's  comfort,  since  a  suit  of  clothing  is  supposed  to  last 
the  wearer  without  washing  a  whole  season  ;  and  the 
"  little  foxes "  inside  of  one's  shirt  keep  one  forever 
scratching.  But  it  is  an  unspeakable  pleasure  to  be 
able  to  hang  out  the  shirt  over  night  and  freeze  the  little 
pests  to  death.  In  the  morning  all  that  is  necessary  to 
be  done  is  to  beat  the  infested  garment,  turned  inside 
out,  against  the  door-post,  and  off  they  will  drop  by  the 
score,  frozen  white  with  the  accumulated  rime.  It  is 
rather  rough  on  the  "  little  foxes,"  but  a  glorious  relief 
to  the  owner  of  the  shirt. 

I  noticed,  while  approaching  the  end  of  Long  Island, 
that  the  river  was  wide  and  had  discharged  great  quanti- 
ties of  broken  ice.  The  water  in  the  bay  may  be  shoal, 
but  I  am  sure  that  if  even  a  boat  of  considerable  draught 
found  the  end  of  Long  Island  fair,  and  followed  it  around 
on  the  south  side,  she  would  discover  the  river  to  be 
easily  navigable.  For  it  is  there  narrow  and  its  rapid 
discharge  of  water  and  ice  leads  me  to  believe  that  it  is 
also  deep.     This  is  the  way  into  the  Lena  from  the  west- 

23 


354  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

ward,  but  from  here  towards  the  river  Alanek,  that  is, 
westward  from  the  west  end  of  Long  Island,  it  is  a 
succession  of  sand-bars  and  shoals,  with  deep  pools  of 
water. 

Jaolak  is  sixty  or  seventy  versts  west  of  Turak,  and  is 
located  close  to  a  coast-range  of  mountains  on  a  river 
which  follows  along  the  base  of  the  foot-hills.  It  is  hid- 
den from  the  northward  by  a  tundra  island  twenty  or 
thirty  feet  high  and  eight  or  ten  versts  long.  Four  huts 
compose  the  village,  and  they  are  inhabited  by  a  large 
number  of  half-starved  natives.  In  former  years  there 
were  many  people  here,  but  they  were  carried  off  by  a  dis- 
ease, said  to  have  been  contracted  from  eating  in  times 
of  famine  the  entrails  of  a  certain  fish,  which  the  natives 
still  point  out  and  shun.  Doubtless  this  particular  fish 
had  eaten  some  poisonous  matter,  for  the  natives  say 
that  only  its  intestines  are  noxious  to  health.  Here  at 
the  western  end  of  the  Delta  the  villages  are  all  in  a 
state  of  rapid  decay,  and  there  are  certainly  more  dead 
than  living  Yakuts.  Nor  is  the  fishing  so  good  as  it  used 
to  be,  and  there  is  not  a  year  without  its  famine. 

April  15th.  —  We  were  up  in  good  time  this  morning, 
and  I  had  a  frozen  shirt  to  don  next  my  skin.  The 
weather  is  clear  overhead,  but  it  is  blowing  half  a  gale 
from  the  westward,  and  drifting  the  snow  in  our  very 
teeth. 

Ninety  versts  to  Alanek  and  fifty  to  Chanker,  a  de- 
serted village  which  at  one  time  contained  about  two 
hundred  inhabitants.  Every  soul  has  departed,  and  noth- 
ing remains  but  the  graves,  balogans,  and  yaurtas,  and  of 
these  many  have  fallen  in. 

We  ran  along  the  coast  and  across  the  bay,  moving 
slowly  against  the  wind  which  carried  us  to  leeward. 
For  the  ice  was  glass-like,  and  the  dogs  could  scarcely 
keep  on  their  feet.  This  part  of  the  bay  is  incessantly 
swept   by  gales   blowing   from  the  mountains,  and  our 


SEARCHING  FOR   CHIP  P.  355 

yamshicks  could  talk  about  nothing  else  but  the  poorga 
pagoda  on  the  gooba  ;  assuring  us  that  many  of  their  peo- 
ple had  been  blown  from  the  ice  into  the  sea.  And,  in- 
deed, the  frantic  wind  did  rush  upon  us  in  perfect  willa- 
was. 

About  ten  versts  east  of  Chanker  we  halted  at  a  solitary 
hut  in  a  nook  of  the  mountain  spur,  and  made  the  usual 
inquiries  after  Chipp  and  party ;  but  the  occupants  had 
heard  nothing  of  men  or  boat.  As  we  approached  Chan- 
ker we  passed  many  deserted  huts,  and  coming  upon  the 
graveyards  the  yamshicks  reverentially  lifted  their  hoods. 
There  was  one  prominent  grave  marked  by  a  tall  cross 
and  surrounded  by  an  ornamented  wooden  railing.  The 
natives  explained  that  a  Russian  officer  was  buried  there, 
and  added  in  a  casual  way,  "  Cushat  soak ;  pomree " 
(nothing  to  eat;  die).  This  is  the  most  desolate  place  I 
have  ever  seen. 

From  Chanker  we  crossed  the  peninsula  to  the  river 
Alanek,  meeting  with  numerous  sled-tracks  and  fox-traps. 
Journeying  northward  on  the  bed  of  the  river  we  shortly 
encountered  three  Tunguse  tents,  pitched  on  the  shore. 
The  people,  wild  and  wretched  looking,  half-clad  and 
starved,  were  all  out  fishing  through  holes  in  the  ice. 
The  Alanek  at  this  point,  perhaps  thirty  versts  from  its 
mouth,  and  as  far  as  I  could  see  to  the  northward,  is  a 
noble  river,  from  one  mile  to  a  mile  and  a  half  wide, 
sharply  shut  in  between  two  magnificent  mountain  ranges, 
and  apparently  free  of  sand-spits  and  shoals,  and  conse- 
quently navigable.  All  the  way  to  the  sea  its  banks  are 
dotted  with  little  villages  of  two  or  more  huts,  and  the 
natives  are  very  poor.  At  one  place  where  we  drew  up 
and  made  tea,  the  people  had  absolutely  nothing  to 
trade,  and  were  fierce  beggars  for  a  little  salt  and  to- 
bacco, seeming  more  than  thankful  to  secure  the  grounds 
from  our  tea-pot.  They  looked  enviously  at  m}r  two 
yamshicks,  who  had  dry  bread  to  eat,  and  I  observed  that 


358  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

graves,  and  my  old  Yakut  guide  was  full  of  historic  in- 
formation relative  to  the  fate  of  the  people ;  acting  in  his 
enthusiasm  the  death  of  each  one,  and  showing  me  how 
the  living  buried  their  dead  comrades  with  tass,  tass 
(stones,  stones).  He  also  knew  of  the  house  which 
served  as  an  observatory  for  the  party,  and  wherein  they 
evidently  had  an  equatorial  or  telescope,  for  Geordi  tried 
to  describe  a  dome-shaped  hut,  and,  elevating  his  dog- 
stake  to  his  eye  after  the  manner  of  a  long  field-glass, 
spoke  of  the  zevesdas  (stars). 

The  graves  are  close  to  the  spot  where  the  huts  were 
located,  on  a  miniature  plateau  under  the  lee  of  a  large 
mountain  cliff,  forming  the  east  bank  of  the  river  month. 
The  little  table  is  about  forty  feet  above  the  river,  and 
overlooks  the  sea  to  the  northwest,  and  a  more  beautiful 
point  or  one  better  adapted  for  observation  and  security, 
cannot  be  found  in  the  Arctic  regions.  Near  by  is  a  hut, 
at  present  inhabited,  and  around  it  are  the  ruins  of  sev- 
eral others ;  for  its  position  and  surroundings  not  only 
recommended  it  to  the  unfortunate  explorer  and  his  party, 
but  likewise  to  the  natives.  Not  a  vestige  of  the  obser- 
vatory remains ;  the  starosti  saying  that  the  ruins  are  all 
those  of  Yakut  huts. 

There  are  six  well-defined  graves,  marked  by  head  and 
foot-stones.  One  has  two  logs  of  wood  ranged  alongside, 
and  the  stones  with  which  it  was  covered  are  now  -im- 
bedded in  the  almost  solid  rock.  There  are  no  mounds, 
each  grave  having  been  tramped  or  rather  weather-worn 
flat,  and  only  the  stones  indicate  the  different  spots  where 
the  poor  fellows  laid  each  other  down  to  an  endless  sleep. 
But  there  must  needs  have  been  one  or  two  or  more  who 
had  no  comrade  to  perform  this  last  kind  office  for  them, 
and  of  these  there  is  no  trace  or  memorial.  A  large 
wooden  cross  still  stands  over  one  of  the  graves,  and 
about  five  yards  to  the  northwest  of  it  are  the  remains  of 
another,  at  the  base  of  which  some  careless  person  years 


SEARCHING  FOR   CHIPP.  359 

ago  built  a  fire  with  destructive  effect,  and  more  recently 
some  other  vandal  cut  off  the  top  with  an  axe.  I  in- 
quired of  the  starosti  if  all  of  these  were  Russian  or 
Yakut  graves,  and  he  said,  "Yakut  soak  "  (Yakut  no), 
pointing  out,  at  the  same  time,  a  dozen  or  more  in  the 
two  groups  of  graves,  which  were  unmistakably  Ruski. 

The  cross  which  is  left  standing  has  a  cant  or  lean  to 
the  southwest  of  about  thirty  degrees.  It  is  seven  feet 
high,  and  hewn  to  six  by  five  inches  out  of  a  round  stick 
of  timber  nine  inches  in  diameter  at  the  base.  Origi- 
nally it  had  three  cross-arms,  and  the  highest  one,  still 
in  place,  is  fourteen  inches  long  by  six  inches  wide.  The 
other  piece  was  let  in  about  two  feet  from  the  top,  and, 
to  make  the  cross  look  symmetrical,  must  have  been 
about  four  feet  long.  Lower  down,  and  within  eighteen 
inches  of  the  base,  is  a  diagonal  notch,  in  which  were  in- 
serted the  arms  of  a  St.  Peter's  cross,  as  the  Russians 
call  it.  Graves  and  cross  face  to  the  northwest  or  the 
west  northwest,  and  look  down  upon  the  bay  and  river 
mouth,  and  across  the  icy  Polar  sea. 

The  cross  is  cracked  and  time-worn,  and  the  characters 
were  so  poorly  cut  in  with  a  knife  that  they  are  now 
simply  distinguishable  and  no  more.  I  copied  them,  not 
only  verbatim,  but  in  perfect  outline,  including  the  crack, 
which  extends  almost  from  top  to  bottom  of  the  upright 
post. 

The  face  of  the  country  in  its  winter  garb,  spotted 
over  with  the  many  Yakut  graves  and  crosses,  has  here 
the  appeai-ance  of  a  veritable  land  of  death  and  desola- 
tion. And  yet  the  Russian  government  taxes  these  mis- 
erable people  for  the  privilege  of  dying  here.  A  sad  com- 
mentary, indeed,  are  these  ruins  and  fat  cemeteries  on 
the  unprincipled  policy  of  a  great  Christian  country, 
whose  priests  or  "popes,"  the  very  lowest  and  lewdest 
order  of  men,  engage  in  no  other  missionary  or  human- 
izing work  than  their  annual  nefarious  trips,  when  they 


360  IN  THE   LENA   DELTA. 

steal  from  the  starving  natives  their  marriage  and  bap- 
tismal fees,  and  collect  their  revenue  from  the  sales  of 
ornamental  brass-work  —  in  the  shape  of  icons  —  and  of 
wax-tapers,  prepared  by  the  priests'  wives  or  purchased 
by  the  gross  from  the  manufacturers  or  traders,  who  are 
not  permitted  to  sell  them  directly  to  the  poor  duped 
Yakuts.  And  I  thought  all  this  as  Geordi  Nicolai  and 
his  aged  relative,  looking  sorrowfully  at  the  graves  and 
deserted  huts,  muttered  over  and  over  again,  — 

"Yakut  pomree  manorga." 

The  weather  continued  blustry,  with  a  light  fall  of 
snow.  I  tarried  an  hour  at  this  so  interesting  spot,  and 
finally  took  a  long  last  look  across  the  broken  white 
bosom  of  the  great  North  Sea,  on  which  many  many 
years  ago  the  ill-starred  dead  at  my  feet  doubtless  gazed 
and  dreamed  —  dreamed  as  I  did  then  of  a  bitter  past  and 
an  inscrutable  future  —  dreamed  as  does  the  whole  world. 
Brave  Pronchishcheff ;  hei'oic  and  self-sacrificing  wife 
and  Cossack  comrades,  martyrs  all  to  science  and  duty  ! 

Immediately  upon  my  return  to  Alanek,  I  ordered  out 
the  teams,  and  followed  by  the  blessings  of  the  poor  na- 
tives, to  whom  I  gave  a  little  salt  and  tobacco,  started 
off,  taking  a  short  cut  across  the  country  to  the  northeast 
through  the  mountain  gorges,  and  presently  gaining  the 
shore  of  the  ocean,  skirted  along  the  coast  to  the  east- 
ward. About  ten  versts  from  the  mouth  of  the  river,  we 
passed  a  hut  pitched  far  out  on  a  spit  in  the  bay,  and  I 
wondered  that  the  floods  or  rising  ice  had  not  swept  it 
from  its  apparently  precarious  position.  But  the  yam- 
shicks  said  "  Soak,  byral "  (no,  the  sea),  meaning  that 
when  the  floods  reached  this  point  they  melted  into  the 
ocean:  and  yet  I  imagine  that  in  a  northerly  gale  the  sea 
would  roll  over  and  submerge  the  spit  were  it  not  for  the 
shoals  making  a  long  way  off  shore. 

Five  versts  further  on  we  came  up  with  four  natives 
fishing  through  holes  in  the  ice  of  the  ocean.      Their 


SEARCHING  FOR   CHI  PP.  361 

catch  was  very  meagre,  and  they  came  running  to  us  and 
bad  a  long  talk  with  the  yamshicks,  who  gave  them  my 
story  and  a  smoke,  but  they  knew  nothing  of  the  miss- 
ing boat.  We  ran  along  the  rocky  coast  all  day,  and  I 
noticed  great  quantities  of  drift-wood  on  the  beach,  and 
many  fox-traps,  and  the  sled-track  of  a  hunter  who  had 
been  visiting  them.  The  coast  is  high  and  precipitous, 
with  here  and  there  a  promontory ;  and  at  times  I  espied 
deserted  huts  on  the  numerous  shoals  or  sand  -  spits. 
Without  precisely  knowing  how  deep  the  bay  may  be, 
still,  from  the  confined  bed  of  the  Alanek,  I  believe  it 
would  be  a  good  and  navigable  river  to  aim  for  in  boats, 
in  case  of  shipwreck  on  this  part  of  the  Siberian  coast. 

We  drew  up  at  a  well-built  and  comfortable  povarnia, 
forty  versts  from  Jaolak,  and  made  tea  and  rested  our 
dogs.  The  poor  things  can  barely  crawl,  and  such  as 
gave  out  entirely  to-day,  we  turned  loose  and  left  by  the 
roadside.  They  would  follow  after  for  a  little  distance, 
and  then,  unable  to  go  further,  would  sit  on  end  and 
howl  dismally.  For  they  seem  to  realize  their  fate  when 
cut  adrift,  and  too  weak  to  reach  a  settlement  —  which 
is  either  to  die  of  starvation  or  be  devoured  by  wolves. 

After  tea  we  forsook  the  povarnia  and  toiled  on 
wearily  and  drearily,  reaching  Jaolak  at  midnight,  hun- 
gry, cold,  and  stiff. 

April  17th.  —  I  turned  out  this  morning  to  find  it  blow- 
ing a  half  gale.  This  is  a  peculiarity  of  the  weather  up 
here;  during  fall,  winter,  and  spring,  there  is  always  a 
whole  or  a  half  gale  sweeping  the  snow. 

"  I  witnessed  a  strange  scene  last  night  between  a  youth- 
ful Yakut  bride  and  her  spouse,  from  whom  she  had  stolen 
away  and  sought  refuge  in  our  hut,  the  home  of  her  parents. 
He  came  in  pursuit  of  her,  but  she  would  not  go  with 
him,  and  her  parents  would  not  interfere,  for  it  is  a  cus- 
tom among  the  Yakuts  that  when  a  bride  returns  to  her 
first  home  the  husband  loses  possession  of  her,  and  the 


362  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

mother  may  sell  her  daughter  to  a  new  admirer.'  So  in 
this  case  the  old  lady  was  in  pocket  and  the  best  of 
spirits,  and  the  bride  was  for  sale,  notwithstanding  the 
angry  protests  of  the  young  groom  ;  but  as  there  was  no 
purchaser  in  my  party  we  set  forth  on  our  journey,  leav- 
ing all  three  engaged  in  a  fierce  wrangle  on  Yakut  marital 
rights,  which  the  aggrieved  husband  was  about  to  enforce 
with  a  huge  club  shaped  like  an  unshod  dog-stake.  The 
law  of  divorce  that  obtains  in  this  region  is  very  primitive 
indeed.  If  man  and  wife  cannot  agree,  save  to  separate, 
they  simply  do  so,  and  marry  again  at  will,  or  rather,  in 
the  wife's  case,  at  her  mother's  will. 

The  dogs  are  so  feeble  that  I  fear  they  cannot  sustain 
the  long  northern  journey,  though  now  the  wind  is  be- 
hind us  or  on  our  left  cheek,  and  acts  as  an  aid.  One  of 
the  dogs  dropped  down  in  his  harness  this  morning  before 
we  had  gone  five  versts,  and  his  fellows  bit  and  shook 
him  ferociously,  but  he  was  too  weak  to  show  fight.  One 
of  the  yamshicks  took  off  the  harness  and  threw  him 
aside,  when  he  made  a  painful  effort  to  stand  up  and 
follow  us,  but  failed  and  fell  over.  This  was  near  to 
Jaolak,  and  if  he  revives  he  may  perhaps  return  there. 

We  followed  the  coast  until  dark  from  the  river  Turak, 
one  of  the  western  discharges  of  the  Lena.  There  are 
numerous  fox-traps  along  the  wajr,  and  several  shelter 
huts  for  the  trappers.  These  traps  are  owned  by  Boba- 
rouski  Gavirillo  and  Geordi  Nicolai,  and  we  slept  in  their 
hunting-lodge,  known  as  Koobalak,  ninety  versts  distant 
from  Jaolak.  This  coast  is  full  of  large  ba}7s  and  head- 
lands, indicating  the  presence  of  rivers,  but  in  reality 
there  is  no  river  north  of  Turak.  It  is  a  bad  coast  for 
boats  without  proper  knowledge  of  the  land,  for  its  ap- 
pearance is  very  deceptive. 

April  18th.  —  We  made  an  early  start  from  Koobalak, 
and  continued  to  follow  the  coast-line.  Geordi  says  that 
he  and  his  partner  visit  their  traps  about  twice  a  moon, 


SEARCHING  FOR   CHI  PP.  363 

sometimes  oftener ;  so  there  is  no  possibility  of  Chipp's 
people  having  landed  here  without  their  knowledge. 

We  ran  along  the  high  ground  back  of  the  bluffs  all 
day,  occasionally  passing  a  trapper's  lodge,  but  meeting 
with  no  permanently  inhabited  huts.  At  one  of  the 
lodges  we  halted  and  found  the  fish  which  I  had  directed 
La  Kentie  Shamoola  to  deposit  for  our  use.  This  hut  is 
fifty  versts  from  Koobalak,  and  fifty  from  Buruloch.  We 
made  tea,  gave  the  dogs  a  little  feed  and  rest,  and  were 
off  again,  arriving  at  Buruloch  after  midnight.  "  Paddy  " 
declares  that  I  never  sleep,  and  will  kill  off  all  the  dogs 
on  the  Delta :  "  Spee  soak ;  pomree  bar "  (no  sleep  ; 
will  die).  There  are  three  huts  here,  two  of  which,  the 
owners  having  died,  are  in  ruins.  This  was  formerly  an 
excellent  reindeer  coast,  now  the  hunters  laconically 
lament,  "Malinki,  malinki  olane"  (little,  little  deer). 

April  Vdth.  —  Lowering  weather.  We  skirted  the 
coast  to  a  small  stream  west  of  North  Belun,  down  which 
we  ran  to  the  large  deserted  village  of  Tai^a  Janga,  where 
there  are  abundant  remains  of  store-houses  and  huts  and 
a  multitude  of  graves,  which  tell  their  melancholy  tale 
without  need  of  my  yamshicks'  explanation :  "  Tashoo 
pomree;  Yakuts  pomree  "  (all  dead  ;  Yakuts  dead). 

Traversing  the  chain  of  small  lakes  and  rivers,  we 
passed  through  North  Belun,  and  on  down  the  river  Ke- 
tack  to  Borkhia,  where  we  halted  as  guests  of  La  Kentie 
Shamoola.  His  hut  is  the  largest  and  cleanest  on  the 
archipelago,  and  he  has  a  fine  wife  and  three  children 
(barinchucks).  I  learn  that  Nindemann  was  here  four 
days  ago  on  his  way  south. 

Geordi  Nicolai  wants  a  vacation  to  sleep  ;  so  I  will  dis- 
charge him  and  one  team  for  the  present,  since  I  have 
now  virtually  finished  the  search  on  this  part  of  the  coast, 
unless  Nindemann  or  Bartlett  has  found  some  trace  of 
Chipp. 

April  20th.  —  We  set  out  in  a  violent  snow-storm  for 


364  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

Kigolak,  and  heard  en  route  that  the  deer  which  I  ordered 
to  be  driven  to  Cass  Carta  died  on  the  road.  The  natives 
hitched  them  to  sleds  and  tried  to  coax  them  along;  but 
they  had  fared  so  badly  during  the  winter  and  were  so 
weak  that  they  soon  broke  down,  —  for  the  reindeer  is  a 
very  tender  animal  and  easily  killed.  I  engaged  a  dog- 
team  to  carry  Ivan  Patnoggin  and  wife  to  Bulcour,  as  I 
will  have  no  further  use  for  them  after  we  break  camp. 

I  arrived  here,  at  Cass  Carta,  in  the  afternoon,  and 
found  Nindemann  and  Gronbeck  looking  healthy  and 
happy.  Nindemann  saw  nothing  that  would  evidence 
the  landing  of  Chipp  and  party.  On  his  journey  around 
the  north  coast,  he  came  upon  the  first  cutter  lying  off 
shore  abreast  the  flag-staff  or  pole  which  marked  the 
cache.  It  is  fully  four  versts  off  shore,  he  says,  and  en- 
tirely snowed  under  and  frozen  fast,  inside  and  outside. 

His  guides  were  competent,  and  he  had  no  difficulty  in 
making  the  journey.  At  Bai*kin  he  found  one  good  hut 
and  a  stoi-e-house,  and  five  versts  to  the  northward  a  pa- 
latka  (peaked  hut).  There  were  many  fox-traps  set 
along  the  cape  and  coast,  and  he  calculates  that  the  huts 
are  located  about  thirty  versts  southwest  from  Barkin. 
His  report  agrees  with  the  observations  I  took  last  Sep- 
tember while  off  the  coast  in  the  whale-boat,  for  he  says 
the  point  was  so  low  that  he  could  not  tell  whether  he 
was  on  land  or  sea. 

If  the  people  of  the  second  cutter  landed  on  the  coast 
traversed  by  Nindemann  and  myself,  they  would  cer- 
tainly have  left  some  trace  of  their  presence  visible  to  the 
most  careless  observer.  De  Long  and  party,  for  example, 
when  wood  was  scarce  or  wet,  burned  the  fox-traps  in 
the  vicinity  of  their  camp.  And  then,  too,  the  natives 
have  traveled  back  and  forth  over  both  courses  without 
seeing  a  sign  of  either  boat  or  people.  About  thirty 
versts  southwest  of  Barkin  is  the  large  river  Duropean, 
full  of  massive  broken  ice,  —  the  same  as,  or  a  branch  of, 


SEARCHING  FOR   CHI  PP.  365 

the  rivers  Kagoastock  and  Barchuck,  which  Nindemann 
fully  and  fruitlessly  searched  ;  and  I  now  consider  that 
the  whole  coast-line,  from  the  Alanek  to  Bukoff(ski) 
Cape  via  Barkin,  has  been  thoroughly  gone  over. 

I  have  received  tidings  from  Bartlett.  He  completed 
his  journey,  guided  by  the  trappers  Simeon  Alock  and 
Vasilli  Kool  Gar,  from  Barkin  to  Bukoff,  inland  and 
along  shore,  meeting  with  the  same  result  as  Nindemann 
and  myself. 

April  21st.  —  A  stormy,  miserable  day.  I  paid  off 
all  the  natives,  and  made  preparations  to  abandon  Cass 
Carta  forever.  Tomat  Constantine  told  me  that  he  left 
word  for  a  dog-team  to  come  here  to-day  ;  but,  as  usual, 
he  lied,  so  I  have  sent  for  one  to  carry  us  all  to  Bukoff. 

April  2'2d.  —  It  was  too  late  to  make  a  start  when 
the  teams  arrived  this  morning,  as  I  wish  to  reach  Chul- 
Boy-Hoy  without  stopping.  I  shall  require  four  teams  of 
fifteen  dogs  each,  two  of  which  I  have,  and  the  other  two 
I  shall  hire,  paying  road  money. 

April  23d.  —  Out  at  three  A.  M.,  and  off  by  six  A.  M., 
in  a  light  eastern  breeze.  At  eight  o'clock  the  clouds 
began  to  gather,  the  wind  increased,  and  by  ten  it  was 
blowing  a  full  gale. 

We  crossed  nine  wide  rivers  between  Cass  Carta  and 
the  Kagoastock,  and  further  on  crossed  the  Duropean,  at 
the  entrance  to  the  mouth  of  which  poor  De  Long  and 
party  perished.  Here  we  ran  into  the  heavy  broken  ice 
of  the  gooba,  or  eastern  main  branch  of  the  Lena  ;  and 
the  storm  had  grown  so  fierce  that  the  yamshicks  lost 
their  way  and  floundered  wildly  around  on  the  rough  bed 
of  the  river.  We  laid  a  southeast  course  by  compass, 
not  knowing  our  position,  save  that  Ordono  lay  some- 
where to  the  southward  of  us ;  and  when  we  at  last 
reached  the  land  our  dogs  fell  over  and  howled,  so  blind- 
ing was  the  gale.  The  yamshicks  searched  vainly  about 
on  hands  and  knees  for  a  path  or  sled-track,  until  finally 
I  ordered  the  tent  to  be  set  up,  and  with  the  dogs  coiled 


366  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

around  it  and  the  sleds  on  end,  we  all  crawled  inside  and 
shivered  from  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  to  two  the 
next  morning,  —  Nindemann  freezing  all  the  fingers  of 
his  left  hand  during  the  night. 

April  1\ih.  —  When  the  weather  cleared,  we  opened 
our  eyes  and  found  ourselves  but  half  a  mile  away  from  a 
povarnia,  whither  we  went,  made  tea,  and  dried  our  cloth- 
ing, and  thence  set  out  for  Turkanach.  Halting  there  for 
a  few  minutes,  we  ran  on  to  Chul-Boy-Hoy,  where  we  en- 
countered the  young  man  whom  I  found  at  the  same  place 
one  month  ago  with  his  starving  and  bereaved  family.  He 
is  now  engaged  in  the  construction  of  three  little  coffins 
for  the  burial  of  his  children,  and  I  watched  his  labors 
with  interest.  He  has  three  solid  pieces  of  timber,  suf- 
ficiently long,  broad,  and  deep,  when  dug  ont,  to  receive 
the  bodies.  They  are  similar  in  shape  to  the  Egyptian 
mummy  cases  seen  in  museums,  elliptical  in  cross-section, 
broad  at  head  and  shoulders,  and  tapering  toward  the 
feet,  with  both  ends  neatly  rounded  off.  With  wooden 
wedges  he  split  the  logs  longitudinally,  matching  and 
"  fairing  "  both  pieces  with  pins.  The  top  and  bottom 
of  these  two  sections  were  next  hollowed  out,  and  the 
corpse  inclosed  within,  the  case  being  then  bound  around 
with  three  plaited  birch  hoops,  in  the  manner  of  a  long 
taper  cask.  These  coffins  are  disposed  of  in  various 
ways  by  the  natives,  —  elevated  on  trestle-work,  placed 
in  crevices  of  rock,  set  upon  the  ground  and  protected 
by  little  houses  built  over  them,  or  buried  in  the  earth, 
though  this  is  the  most  difficult  kind  of  burial,  since  in 
digging  a  grave  it  is  necessary  to  thaw  out  the  ground 
by  a  succession  of  fires. 

We  traveled  along  all  night,  the  weather  steadily  im- 
proving, until  by  midnight  it  was  delightful ;  and  at  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  25th,  we  drew  up  at  the 
hut  of  old  Spiridon  in  the  village  of  Arii.  Here  we  had 
tea,  and  then  resumed  our  journey,  arriving  at  Jamave- 
loch  about  six  o'clock. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

MY   FINAL    SEARCH   TO    THE  JANA   RIVER. 

The  Rodgers.  —  Mr.  Gilder's  Culpable  Conduct.  —  Harber  and 
Schuetze.  —  Noros  and  Jackson.  —  Mr.  Larsen.  —  Jackson's  Van- 
dalism. —  Eating  Wood.  —  Shumomea.  —  Oceansk.  —  Mammoth 
Ivory.  —  Off  for  Verkeransk.  —  The  Exiles  once  more.  —  A  Let- 
ter from  Berry.  —  On  Horseback  to  Yakutsk.  —  Our  Misera- 
ble Equipment  and  Ride  to  Kangerack.  —  The  Rapid  Thaw.  — 
"Jacksoned."  —  The  Experience  of  Bubokoff.  —  Kolinkin  and 
Gilder.  —  Siberian  Cattle. 

I  AT  once  interrogated  Bartlett  concerning  the  where- 
abouts of  Mr.  Gilder,  the  correspondent,  and  learned 
that  he  had  departed  the  day  before  for  Tamoose. 

From  one  of  the  many  letters  which  Mr.  Gilder  sent 
to  me,  I  gleaned  that  he  belonged  to  the  relief  ship 
Rodgers,  commanded  by  Lieutenant  Robert  M.  Berry, 
U.  S.  N.,  and  that,  after  making  an  extended  cruise  in 
the  Arctic  Ocean,  and  visiting  the  islands  of  Herald  and 
Wrangel,  the  Rodgers  was  finally  burned  at  St.  Law- 
rence Bay,  south  of  East  Cape,  in  Eastern  Siberia  ;  that 
after  the  destruction  of  the  vessel,  Lieutenant  Berry  or- 
dered Gilder  to  proceed  along  the  coast  to  Nijni  Ko- 
lymsk,  on  the  Kolyma  River,  and  thence  to  Irkutsk,  the 
terminus  of  the  telegraph  line,  there  to  communicate  the 
news  of  the  Rodgers'  loss  to  the  Navy  Department,  and 
then  follow  the  telegram  to  the  United  States  as  a  bearer 
of  dispatches.  But  upon  his  arrival  at  the  Kolyma  he 
met  my  old  friend  Kasharofoski,  the  ex-espravnick  of 
Verkeransk,  who  told  him  of  the  Jeannette's  fate  and  of 


368  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

our  exploits  on  the  Delta.  Gilder,  in  turn,  sent  the  in- 
formation to  Berry,  and  then  held  on  his  course  until  he 
reached  Kangerack  stancia,  where  he  met  the  Cossack 
courier  who  was  posting  to  Yakutsk  with  my  sealed 
dispatches  to  General  Tschernaieff  and  the  Navy  Depart- 
ment. The  Cossack,  who  had  heard  the  news  at  Ver- 
keransk,  told  Gilder  of  the  contents  of  the  sealed  packet, 
which  that  spirited  journalist  sti'aightway  induced  the 
derelict  courier  to  surrender  into  his  hands,  and  coolly 
broke  open.  He  abstracted  the  desired  particulars,  and 
then  forwarded  the  packet  to  General  Tschernaieff,  send- 
ing, however,  in  advance  to  the  "  Herald "  an  account, 
taken  from  my  report,  of  the  finding  of  the  bodies  of  De 
Long  and  comrades.  He  here  turned  over  to  his  travel- 
ing companion,  the  ex-espravnick  of  Kolyma,  Lieutenant 
Berry's  dispatches  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  direct- 
ing him  to  mail  them  to  the  United  States,  and  likewise 
to  forward  his  telegram  to  the  "  Herald."  It  is  needless 
to  state  that  General  Tschernaieff  expressed  great  sur- 
prise to  me  at  the  very  questionable  liberties  taken  by 
Mr.  Gilder,  but  dropped  the  subject  at  length  with  the 
remark  that  he  supposed  the  breaking  of  a  seal  was  a 
matter  of  little  or  no  consequence  in  a  free  country  like 
the  United  States,  but  in  Russia  it  was  a  penal  and  seri- 
ous offense,  and  he  assured  me  that  the  Cossack  would 
not  go  unpunished  for  his  part  in  the  transaction. 

When  I  reached  Tamoose  it  was  to  learn  that  Gilder 
had  gone,  so  I  returned  to  Jamaveloch  and  began  my 
preparations  for  a  final  search  to  the  mouth  of  the  Jana 
River  ;  for  the  sledding  season  was  now  over,  and  I  would 
soon  have  to  leave  the  country  or  be  detained  until  fall. 
I  at  once  started  Captain  Gronbeck  to  Belun,  with  orders 
to  seal  up  our  stores  and  send  a  list  of  them  to  Epa- 
tchieff,  espravnick  of  Verkeransk.  I  likewise  took  an 
account  of  stock  at  Bnkotf,  — bread,  salt,  dried  beef,  tea, 
and  tobacco,  —  which  I  had  stored  in  bags  and  sealed  ;  for 


FINAL   SEARCH   TO   THE  JAN  A   RIVER.       369 

I  now  received  word  that  two  American  officers  had  been 
detailed  to  assist  me  in  the  search,  and  that  they  were 
about  to  charter  the  steamer  Lena  for  the  purpose,  —  an 
expensive  piece  of  folly,  to  prevent  which  I  redoubled  my 
efforts  to  reach  Yakutsk,  since  it  would  be  plainly  im- 
practicable to  navigate  the  Lena  with  this  vessel  of  seven 
feet  draught.  Luckily  the  Department  had  detailed  two 
very  sensible  young  fellows  for  this  special  duty,  and 
upon  their  arrival  at  the  head-waters  of  the  Lena  they 
saw  at  once  that  the  steamer  was  utterly  unfit  for  the 
navigation  of  the  shallow  stream,  and  so  stepped  out  of 
their  charter-party.  Lieutenants  Harber  and  Schuetze 
then  built  a  small  schooner  and  several  boats  suitable  for 
their  work,  and  finally  reached  the  Delta  months  after  I 
had  completed  the  search. 

When,  at  last,  I  was  on  the  eve  of  starting  for  the 
Jana,  I  received  a  message  from  Tamoose  informing  me 
that  two  Americans  were  there,  at  the  hut  of  Kusma. 
Thither  I  drove  on  a  sled,  thinking  that  I  was  about  to 
meet  the  naval  officers  of  whom  I  had  heard,  but  picture 
my  surprise  when,  instead,  I  beheld  Noros,  who  had  set 
out  for  home  in  January  with  Mr.  Danenhovver.  He  was 
accompanied  by  a  Mr.  John  P.  Jackson,  correspondent  of 
the  "  New  York  Herald,"  who,  journeying  to  the  Delta 
to  "  write  up  "  the  Jeannette  disaster,  had  met  the  Dan- 
enhower  party  at  Irkutsk,  and  telegraphed  their  stories 
to  his  journal.  He  had  then  secured  permission  from  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy  to  take  Noros  along  with  him  to 
the  Delta  as  companion  and  aide,  and  here  they  were 
with  all  the  paraphernalia  of  Oriental  travelers.  Noros 
had  shed  his  deer-skin  rags,  .and  was  clothed  in  purple 
and  fine  linen,  so  to  speak.  Jackson  had  a  Cossack  es- 
cort and  two  covered  sleds  filled  with  toothsome  foods 
and  other  good  things. 

I  invited  him  over  to  Jamaveloch,  where  he  learned 
from  Bartlett  and  Nindemann  the  details  of  the  search, 

24 


370  IN  THE  LENA  DELTA. 

and  how  and  -where  we  buried  the  dead.  And  now  a 
Mr.  Larsen,  artist  and  correspondent  of  the  "  Illustrated 
London  News,"  appeared  on  the  scene.  He  and  Mr. 
Jackson  had  been  fellow-travelers  as  far  as  Yakutsk,  and 
now  joined  company,  and  wished  to  visit  together  the 
places  of  interest  on  our  recent  search.  Mr.  Jackson  de- 
sired that  I  would  detail  either  Nindernann  or  Bartlett 
to  accompany  him  ;  but,  as  I  had  no  authority  to  detach 
any  of  my  party  for  such  service,  I  declined  to  do  so, 
greatly  to  the  displeasure  of  Mr.  Jackson,  who  seemed 
to  imagine  that  he  had  only  to  order  in  the  name  of  his 
master,  and  I  would  obey.  The  egregious  egotism  of 
this  4dnd  of  person  is  amusing  in  the  extreme.  At  our 
first  meeting  he  told  me,  with  a  great  show  of  impor- 
tance, that  he  would  be  obliged  to  me  if  I  would  turn 
over  to  him  for  his  perusal  and  inspection  the  log-books 
and  journals  of  Lieutenant  De  Long  and  Mr.  Collins  ; 
that  Mr.  Bennett  had  so  ordered,  etc. ;  that  if  there  was 
anything  I  wished  to  have  done,  he  would  be  pleased  to 
forward  all  my  projects,  etc.  ;  or  if  I  wanted  any  money 
he  was  empowered  to  draw  on  Mr.  Bennett,  etc.,  etc.  In 
short,  he  was  prepared  to  take  me  in  charge  and  com- 
plete in  a  proper  manner  the  work  I  had  almost  finished. 
Very  much  to  his  astonishment,  I  was  in  need  of  no 
assistance,  and  not  at  all  inclined  either  to  surrender  my- 
self into  his  keeping,  or  to  be  captured  by  force.  •  Had 
I  supposed  it  was  the  intention  of  this  ghoul-like  party 
to  break  open  the  cairn-tomb,  I  would  certainly  have  ac- 
companied them,  and  prevented  such  a  desecration.  But 
I  never  dreamed  that  a  person  born  in  a  Christian  land 
would  so  far  forget  the  respect  due  to  our  honored  dead 
as  to  violate  their  sacred  resting-place  for  the  purpose  of 
concocting  a  sensational  story,  and  making  sketches,  or 
out  of  idle  curiosity.  Yet  this,  I  afterwards  learned,  was 
done  ;  and  the  timbers  were  sawn  off  and  tumbled  down, 
and  the  structure  left  so  weakened  that  it  no  longer 
served  the  purpose  for  which  it  was  intended. 


FINAL  SEARCH  TO  THE  JANA  RIVER.         371 

Finally,  with  everything  in  readiness,  I  withdrew  nay 
whole  force  from  Jamaveloch  to  search  the  bay  of  Bor- 
khia,  and  round  the  peninsula  to  Oceansk.  Ere  leaving 
I  bade  good-by  to  all  my  old  friends,  and  divided  among 
them  what  provisions,  etc.,  I  had  to  spare ;  previously 
storing,  however,  all  the  valuable  articles,  such  as  tea  and 
tobacco,  —  an  account  of  which  I  left  with  the  esprav- 
nick  of  Verkeransk  for  the  use  of  any  other  search  party 
that  might  be  sent  to  the  Delta. 

One  incident  I  have  almost  overlooked  —  one  that 
well  illustrates  the  extremities  to  which  our  poor  Tun- 
guse  and  Yakut  friends  were  reduced  by  my  wholesale 
purchases  of  fish.  Gabrillo  Passhin,  one  of  the  natives 
who  had  supplied  us  with  food  when  we  first  landed  at 
Jamaveloch,  and  a  man  of  considerable  reputation  as  a 
deer-hunter  (he  having  repeatedly  promised  to  sell  me 
venison,  but  as  regularly  failed  to  do  so),  with  his  wife 
and  children,  was  on  the  verge  of  starvation,  and  begged 
of  me  two  hundred  fish,  promising  to  pay  for  them.  I 
agreed  to  give  him  that  amount,  but,  although  he  had 
called  upon  me  several  times,  I  did  not  believe  that  he 
was  actually  in  want  until  I  was  informed,  at  length, 
that  he  was  eating  masta  (wood)  ;  and  upon  visiting  his 
hut,  sure  enough,  I  found  him  scraping  chips  or  fine 
shavings  from  a  log  of  spruce.  These  he  mixed  in  a  tub 
with  snow  and  a  frozen  fish,  pulverized,  bones  and  all ; 
and  the  wretched  inmates  were  filling  their  pinched  stom- 
achs with  this  mixture,  the  fish  affording  them  a  little 
sustenance,  the  wood,  distention,  and  the  snow  making 
the  mess  comparatively  palatable. 

My  party,  now  consisting  of  myself,  Nindemann,  Bart- 
lett,  Yapheme,  and  dog-drivers,  got  away  from  Jamave- 
loch about  eight  o'clock  in  the  fine  morning  of  April 
28th.  We  halted  at  the  east  end  of  the  island  of  Tarra- 
hue,  and  ate  our  supper  of  tea  and  raw  fish.  Then  skirt- 
ing the  island  we  came  upon  a  couple  of  old  huts  and  a 


372  IN  THE  LENA  DELTA. 

myack  marking  several  caches  of  fish,  made  by  some  na- 
tives. Vasilli  examined  the  distinctive  marks,  and  stated 
■whose  they  were.  We  found  no  signs  of  Chipp  or  party : 
and  so  traveling  all  night  arrived  at  Shumomea,  the  op- 
posite shore  of  the  Bay  of  Borkhia,  stopping  at  an  octag- 
onal povarnia. 

Following  the  coast-line  and  crossing  the  shoals,  we 
came  to  the  little  village  of  Bulcur,  at  one  of  the  mouths 
of  the  Jana  Delta.  Here  we  had  supper,  and  procured 
reindeer  to  carry  us  to  Oceansk,  two  hundred  and  ten 
versts  distant  in  a  bee-line.  The  natives  treated  us  most 
kindly,  but  had  seen  nothing  of  Chipp's  party.  We  then 
passed  from  village  to  village,  —  to  Maxim  Bottono,  to 
Batter  Arack,  to  Isverska,  and  thence  to  Oceansk ;  where 
we  arrived  at  two  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  April  30th, 
having  completed  the  coast-wise  search  for  Lieutenant 
Chipp  and  party  all  the  way  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Alanek  to  the  mouth  of  the  Jana,  a  distance  of  more 
than  five  hundred  miles  in  a  direct  line,  and  more  than 
one  thousand  miles  by  the  sinuous  coast-line. 

Oceansk  is  quite  a  large  town  of  three  hundred  inhab- 
itants, composed  of  Yakuts,  Tunguses,  exiles  and  their 
keepers,  and  quite  a  number  of  traders,  who  buy  up  the 
pelts  and  the  fossil  ivory  which  is  found  throughout  this 
section  of  Siberia.  I  saw  many  thousand  pounds  of  the 
mammoth  tusks  stained  black  as  night  by  age  and  the 
tanning  qualities  of  the  tundra  peat  or  bog,  in  which  a 
great  quantity  of  the  ivory,  or  mammoth  (as  the  natives 
and  Russians  call  it),  lies  buried.  Some  of  these  tusks 
which  I  measured  were  nine  feet  in  length  along  the 
curve,  and  at  the  large  or  skull  end  were  thirty  inches  in 
circumference  ;  hollow  and  elliptical  in  cross-section.  I 
saw  one  train  of  thirty  sleighs  laden  with  these  tusks,  all 
marked  with  the  owner's  name,  en  route  for  market,  and 
upon  inquiring  its  destination  was  told  Keti  (China),  the 
great  ivory-working  country  of  the  world. 


FINAL  SEARCH  TO   THE  JANA  RIVER.        373 

After  a  sleep  and  breakfast,  I  arranged  for  as  rapid  a 
run  to  Yakutsk  as  possible,  via  Verkeransk ;  for  I  now 
felt  that  my  labors  at  the  Delta  were  completed,  and  if 
Messrs.  Harber  and  Schuetze  intended  to  prosecute  the 
search  during  the  coming  summer,  it  would  be  necessary 
that  I  give  them  the  benefit  of  my  experience,  and  caution 
them  against  employing  a  steamer  of  too  deep  a  draught. 

My  journey  from  Oceansk  lay  across  the  edge  of  the 
tundra,  and  over  the  mountain  district  to  Verkeransk. 
The  road  does  not  follow  the  banks  of  the  Jana,  on 
which  both  Oceansk  and  Verkeransk  are  pitched,  though 
in  summer  time  boats  are  floated  down  the  stream.  We 
traveled  by  reindeer  teams,  but  the  sledging  season  was 
fast  drawing  to  a  close ;  the  snow  was  melting  and  run- 
ning off  in  little  streams,  and  the  bare  earth  was  begin- 
ning to  show  on  the  sunny  sides  of  the  hills. 

I  bade  farewell  to  the  shores  of  the  Arctic  Ocean  on 
the  first  day  of  May,  1882,  and  left  behind  me  the  rag- 
ged and  faithful  Yakuts.  Though  lousy  and  dirty,  they 
had  done  more  than  a  Christian  part  by  me  when  cast 
ashore  among  them.  They  were  not  above  lying  or  steal- 
ing in  their  own  original  way  ;  and  yet  they  gave  us  of 
what  little  they  had,  and  no  matter  if  I  did  pay  them 
double  rates  for  all  I  received,  I  still  have  not  forgotten 
them,  as  I  trust  they  will  all  live  to  know. 

The  distance  to  Verkeransk  from  Oceansk  is  about 
nine  hundred  versts,  and  the  stations  between  bear  the 
following  euphonious  names  :  Tallowguil,  Kool  -  Gark- 
Soak,  and  two  or  three  small  ones,  such  as  Belcur,  Dwee, 
and  Aimee. 

The  snow  was  fast  forsaking  the  roads,  making  hard 
travel  for  the  deer,  which  suffered  sorely  from  the  heat. 
Many  herders  were  already  driving  their  deer  to  the 
mountains,  and  the  natives  were  loath  to  work  them  at 
all,  since  a  large  number  were  with  fawn,  and  indeed  it 
did  seem  cruel ;  but  then  I  would  have  to  reach  Verke- 
ransk at  once  or  wait  until  fall. 


374  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

I  arrived  at  Verkeransk  on  the  evening  of  May  6th, 
and  received  a  hearty  welcome  from  espravnick  Epa- 
tchieff.  Again  I  saw  all  the  exiles.  They  were  in  high 
spirits,  and  full  of  talk  about  making  their  escape  down 
the  Jana  River  to  the  Arctic  Ocean,  and  thence  along 
the  coast  via  Behring  Strait  to  America.  I  could  not,  of 
course,  aid  or  abet  their  attempt,  but  they  had  still  in  a 
double  degree  my  sympathy  and  good-wishes ;  for  surely 
they  have  been  treated  harshly,  outrageously.  It  is  as- 
tonishing, the  number  of  young  men  who  are  sent  into 
exile  for  mere  participation  in  students'  rows,  such  fra- 
cases as  are  frequent  in  our  university  towns,  and  for 
which  offense  our  law  locks  the  youngsters  up  in  a  police 
station  over  night,  and  fines  and  liberates  them  in  the 
morning.  But  in  Russia  the  students  are  the  ground- 
work of  the  educated  classes,  who  are  likely  to  think  in 
too  free  a  manner  ;  and  if  they  express  their  liberal 
opinions  too  freely,  away  they  go  to  Siberia.  When  a 
Russian  is  convicted  of  a  felony,  he  first  serves  a  prison 
sentence,  and  is  then  banished  to  Siberia  out  of  harm's 
way,  going  further  to  the  northeast  in  proportion  to  the 
heinousness  of  his  crime,  —  the  mouth  of  the  Kolyma 
River  being  the  easternmost  penal  settlement  on  the 
Arctic  Ocean.1 

Upon  my  arrival  at  Verkeransk,  I  received  a  letter 
from  Lieutenant  Berry,  written  at  Kolymsk  on  the.  Ko- 
lyma River,  and  dated  April  7th.  It  informed  me  that  he 
was  working  his  way  west  and  searching  along  the  coast 
as  far  as  the  Jana.  Had  I  known  this  before  leaving 
Oceansk,  I  would  have  waited  for  him  or  traveled  to  the 
eastward  and  met  him,  and  thus  finished  the  coastwise 
search  for  Chipp  from  East  Cape  to  the  river  Alanek. 
But  it  was  now  too  late  to  turn  back ;  and,  indeed,  the 
season  was  so  far  advanced  that  it  was  dangerous  to  pro- 
ceed to  the  southward,  for  the  country  was  flooded  by 
the  rapid  thaw,  and  I  had  no  time  to  spare.  So  aban- 
1  Appendix  :  Letter  from  M.  Leon. 


FINAL   SEARCH  TO   THE  J  ANA   RIVER.        375 

doning  my  sleds  and  deer  at  Verkeransk,  I  began  a  weary 
horse-back  ride  to  Yakutsk,  a  distance  in  winter,  by  the 
short  river  cuts,  of  nine  hundred  and  sixty  versts,  but 
now  drawn  out  into  twelve  hundred  versts,  or  about 
eight  hundred  miles.  And  the  horses  !  Old  "  crow- 
baits,"  which  had  survived  the  wear  and  tear  of  the  re- 
cent winter's  baggage  trains.  And  the  saddles  !  !  Cav- 
alry recruits  never  had  such  an  experience,  for  they  are 
generally  broken  in  on  that  prince  of  saddles,  the  "  Mc- 
Clellan  tree."  We  had  the  tree,  it  is  true,  but  it  con- 
sisted of  two  curved  sticks  fastened  to  two  pads  which 
rested  on  the  back  of  the  horse  —  and  ive  rested  on  the 
sticks ;  at  times  filling  in  the  aching  void  with  a  bag  of 
hay.  Deer-skin  straps  and  wooden  stirrups  completed 
the  harness  ;  and  very  long  and  uncomfortable  was  that 
ride. 

I  had  four  pack-horses  to  transport  our  provisions  and 
personal  effects,  and  my  party  consisted,  beside  myself, 
of  several  guides,  Bartlett,  Nindemann,  and  Yapheme,  — 
now  better  known  to  us  as  the  "  Red  Fiend,"  because  of 
his  flowing  red  hair,  and  turkey  red  cotton  blouse,  which 
the  Russian  peasant  so  much  admires ;  and  for  his  ras- 
cality in  losing  (stealing  and  selling)  our  camp  equipage, 
tobacco,  and  tea,  and  in  getting  drunk  whenever  an  op- 
portunity offered. 

Altogether,  there  were  about  ten  horses  in  my  train, 
a  rather  large  number  for  that  section  of  the  country, 
and  at  times  we  could  not  be  furnished  with  full  relays. 
We  ourselves  were  a  hard-looking  half-dozen  of  ragamuf- 
fins, and  mounted  on  our  lean  and  worn-out,  but  vicious, 
steeds  formed  as  shabby  a  cavalcade  as  ever  marched 
through  Siberia.  Yet  we  were  jolly  withal.  The  rivers 
and  creeks  were  swollen  by  the  torrents  of  melting  snow 
and  rain  ;  and  our  weak  and  miserable  horses,  without 
shoes,  slipped  and  staggered  about  on  the  ice,  pitching  us 
over  their  heads  or  rolling  us  in  pools  of  water.    Often  a 


376  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

dismounted  rider  would  come  marching  into  camp,  lead- 
ing his  Bucephalus  after  him,  and  were  it  not  that  the 
horses  carried  our  extra  clothing  some  of  the  luckless 
ones  would  have  turned  theirs  adrift,  saddle  and  all. 
Thus  we  trudged  on  until  finally  we  arrived  (May  14th) 
at  the  Kangerack  stancia,  the  mountain  divide  between 
the  districts  of  Verkeransk  and  Yakutsk,  The  horses 
by  this  time  were  barely  able  to  stand,  and  there  was  no 
relay  until  we  crossed  the  divide  and  journeyed  far  down 
into  the  valley  of  the  River  Aldan. 

Halting  at  the  Kangerack  stancia,  we  turned  the  horses 
loose  to  graze  on  the  scant  shrubbery  which  can  grow  at 
these  great  altitudes.  The  poor  animals  scraped  away 
the  snow  with  their  forefeet,  like  reindeer,  and  cropped 
the  dry  grass  beneath. 

We  had  been  seven  days  on  the  journey  from  Oceansk, 
during  which  period  none  of  us  had  been  in  a  hut  to 
sleep  for  more  than  three  hours  at  a  time.  Our  provi- 
sions had  given  out,  and  the  baggage  horses  and  the  "Red 
Fiend  "  were  so  far  in  the  rear  that  I  had  not  seen  either 
for  three  days ;  nor  would  I  have  been  sorry  had  the 
"Fiend"  been  lost  to  me  forever,  he  was  such  a  nuisance. 
My  haste  in  pushing  forward  was  in  order  to  cross  the 
Aldan  before  it  broke  up,  but  at  Kangerack  I  met  sev- 
eral old  deer-drivers  and  the  Cossack  whom  I  had  started 
to  ride  post  to  Yakutsk,  who  told  me  that  the  valley  was 
flooded  for  miles  in  every  direction,  and  that  it  was  not 
safe  to  cross  the  divide.  My  meat  was  exhausted,  and  I 
had  purchased  a  quantity  of  horse-flesh,  or,  as  the  old 
Yakut  assured  me,  the  flesh  of  a  mare  which  had  been 
with  milk.  It  was  of  a  superior  quality  and  of  a  decid- 
edly superior  price.  I  saw  many  of  the  Yakut  women 
and  children  hunting  around  for  roots  to  eat. 

After  a  couple  of  days'  rest  I  tried  to  urge  the  horses 
on,  but  they  sank  to  their  girths  on  the  soft  wet  snow, 
and   finally   lay  down,  and   we   were  compelled  to  lead 


FINAL  SEARCH  TO  THE  JAN  A  RIVER.         377 

them  back  to  camp.  A  fine  prospect,  indeed,  in  this 
mountain  gorge,  with  swollen  streams  on  either  side  of 
us,  and  almost  nothing  to  eat.  At  one  time  it  looked  as 
though  we  had  only  survived  the  perils  of  the  Arctic 
Ocean  and  the  Lena  Delta  to  starve  to  death  on  the 
mountains,  or  be  drowned  in  the  rushing  torrents.  I  sub- 
sequently learned  that  my  two  messengers,  Bubokoff  and 
Kolinkin,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Gilder  of  the  Rodgers, 
had  been  overtaken  by  the  floods  in  the  valley  of  the 
Aldan  and  driven  into  the  tree-tops,  where  they  lived 
for  days,  killing  and  eating  one  of  their  horses,  whose 
carcass  they  moored  fast  to  a  tree  and  hauled  up  into 
their  perches  when  they  were  in  need  of  food.  At  length 
the  waters  subsided  and  they  were  released  from  their 
lofty  captivity,  and  none  too  soon,  for  the  odor  of  their 
floating  larder  had  become  painfully  powerful,  and  their 
stomachs  correspondingly  weak. 

True  to  their  trust,  Bubokoff  and  Kolinkin  hoisted  the 
box  containing  the  precious  books  and  records  of  the  ex- 
pedition into  the  top  of  a  high  tree,  lashing  it  fast ;  but 
the  water  continuing  to  rise  they  became  frightened  and 
raised  and  lashed  it  still  higher,  when  Kolinkin  fell  from 
the  tree  and  was  borne  away  by  the  current  into  the 
branches  of  another,  where  he  remained  without  food  for 
several  days.  Through  their  negligence  they  ran  the 
very  risk  it  Was  my  intention  to  avoid ;  for  I  had  started 
them  from  the  Delta  so  early  to  insure  the  removal  of  the 
records  to  a  place  of  safety  ere  the  spring  floods  set  in. 
But  they  stopped  at  the  different  stancias  ;  idled  away  a 
week  at  Verkeransk  ;  and  meanwhile  the  season  crept  on, 
and  the  floods  caught  them  about  ten  days  before  they 
crossed  the  Aldan,  and  their  disobedience  of  orders  nearly 
cost  them  their  lives  and  the  loss  of  our  records,  the  fruit 
of  so  much  toil  and  suffering  and  death. 

Seeing  that  I  should  be  "jacksoned"  for  an  indefinite 
time  at  Kangerack,  I  dispatched  the  rascally  Cossack  to 


378  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

the  nearest  reindeer  station  with  an  order  to  drive  back 
five  deer  for  food.  Our  bread  had  long  since  given  out, 
and  had  we  not  been  so  fortunate  as  to  meet  the  two  old 
herders  and  the  Cossack  we  should  have  been  forced  to 
eat  our  horses.  The  Cossacks  while  traveling  in  Siberia 
live  on  the  country,  and  this  fellow,  I  was  told,  had 
come  to  Kangerack  and  coolly  quartered  himself  upon 
the  station-keeper  until  after  the  floods  had  subsided. 
The  old  Yakut,  knowing  his  man,  offered  him  five  roubles 
to  move  on.  The  Cossack  pocketed  the  cash,  but  re- 
mained where  he  was  and  ate  up  all  the  venison  and 
meal  at  the  station,  so  that  my  timely  arrival  was  a  wind- 
fall to  both  of  them. 

On  the  afternoon  of  May  16th,  an  aged  Yakut  came 
into  camp.  He  was  the  driver  who  had  carried  Bubokoff 
and  party  to  the  next  stancia,  ninety  versts  beyond  Ver- 
keransk ;  and  he  reported  the  roads  as  flooded  and  im- 
passable. There  had  been  a  considerable  rain-fall,  so  that 
the  snow  rested  on  a  bed  of  slush  and  rendered  travel  of 
any  kind  almost  impossible.  I  purchased  his  three  rein- 
deer for  food  ;  and  he  then  followed  his  tribe  into  one 
of  the  mountain  gorges  to  herd  deer  for  the  ensuing 
winter's  work. 

May  18th,  snow  fell  a  foot  deep,  whitening  all  the 
landscape.  Here  was  a  queer  sight.  The  snow  lay  in 
some  places  to  a  depth  of  forty  or  more  feet,  and  occa- 
sional avalanches  had  left  certain  of  the  gorges  choked 
for  weeks.  Yet  when  the  sun  had  melted  all  but  a 
few  inches  of  snow,  the  blue,  or  whortle-berries,  and  the 
wild  cranberries,  no  larger  than  French  peas,  could  be 
gathered  in  abundance;  and  hardy  little  plants  of  the 
color  of  dark  ivy  pushed  their  shining  leaves  through 
the  snow  and  gladdened  the  hearts  of  our  half-starved 
horses. 

It  is  remarkable  the  discrimination  these  Yakuts  make 
in  the  care  of  their  cattle  as  against  the  poor  horse.    The 


FINAL  SEARCH  TO  THE  JANA  RIVER.        379 

cattle  are  kept  housed  with  the  family  until  spring,  and 
when  turned  out  they  are  the  leanest,  hungriest-looking 
kine  to  be  seen  out  of  Egypt ;  albeit  they  are  fed  on  fod- 
der cut  during  summer  with  long  knives,  similar  in  shape 
to  the  Cuban  machette.  And  I  never  beheld  such  pecul- 
iarly constructed  cattle.  Like  most  people,  I  had  been 
only  acquainted  with  the  ordinary  bovine,  furnished  with 
a  reverse-curved  spine ;  but  the  cattle  of  Siberia  have 
backs  like  the  pig's,  on  which  flourishes  a  crest  of  hair, 
long  and  matted  like  the  shaggy  head  of  the  bison. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

THROUGH   SIBERIA. 

Meeting  with  Berry  and  Hunt.  —  In  the  Valley  of  the  Aldan.  — 
"  Dismal  John."  —  Traveling  through  the  Flooded  District.  —  A 
Tunguse  Family  en  route.  —  Crossing  the  Aldan. —  A  Picturesque 
Scene.  —  Arrival  at  Yakutsk.  —  On  board  the  Pioneer.  —  Mos- 
quitoes.—  Castellated  Cliffs.  —  Passing  the  Harber  Party. — Copert 
Barges.  — The  Voyage  to  Karinsk.  —  On  the  Constantine  and  the 
Tow-Boats.  — In  the  Tarantass.  —  "  Ivan,"  the  Fictitious  Friend. 
— Irkutsk. — The  Story  of  my  Watch. 

On  the  morning  of  May  21st,  Lieutenant  Berry  and 
Ensign  Hunt,  of  the  lost  steamer  Rodgers,  arrived  at 
Kangerack,  accompanied  by  Mr.  John  P.  Jackson,  the  cor- 
respondent ;  Mr.  Larsen,  the  artist ;  a  squad  of  Cossacks ; 
and  seaman  Noros,  who  had  been  traveling  over  the  Lena 
Delta  in  the  capacity  of  guide  and  servant  to  Mr.  Jack- 
son. Lieutenant  Berry  and  Ensign  Hunt  brought  with 
them  a  Russian  boy,  whom  they  had  shipped  somewhere 
along  the  coast  of  Kamschatka,  and  who  had  since  been 
acting  as  their  interpreter. 

I  was  certainly  never  so  glad  to  see  two  white  men 
in  my  life  as  I  was  to  see  Berry  and  Hunt.  They  had 
journeyed  westward  nearly  two  thousand  miles  along  the 
shore  of  the  Arctic  Ocean,  from  East  Cape  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Jana,  —  arriving  at  Oceansk  only  two  or  three  days 
after  I  had  taken  my  departure.  There  they  first  learned 
of  my  having  found  and  buried  the  dead  of  De  Long's 
party,  and  also  of  my  inability  to  discover  any  trace  of 
poor  Chipp.    Berry  then  hastened  to  overtake  me,  bring- 


THROUGH  SIBERIA.  381 

ing  with  him  a  goodly  supply  of  bread,  of  which  my 
party  was  sorely  in  need ;  and  he  thus  actually  accom- 
plished in  part  the  mission  on  which  he  had  originally 
set  out :  viz.,  the  relief  of  the  Jeannette  people.  And,  I 
repeat,  it  was  a  most  pleasurable  thing  for  me  to  meet 
two  of  my  own  countrymen,  and  fellow-officers  at  that, 
in  this  remote  and  cheerless  region. 

After  much  hand-shaking  and  many  inquiries  about 
affairs  at  home  and  our  common  friends,  we  made  prepa- 
rations for  another  attempt  on  the  morrow  to  cross  the 
mountain  and  reach  the  next  stancia.  So  early  in  the 
morning  we  set  forth,  and  at  the  end  of  a  hard  day's 
work  camped  in  the  valley  on  the  other  side.  Our  party 
now  numbered  fifteen,  and  our  horses  were  just  able  to 
drag  their  legs  along.  We  rode  them  from  povarnia  to 
povarnia,  turning  them  loose  at  each  halt  to  graze  upon 
the  withered  leaves  and  shrubbery.  We  were  greatly  en- 
tertained on  this  long  journey  by  one  of  the  late  additions 
to  my  party.  He  had  acquired  a  smattering  of  Russian, 
and  would  shout  to  the  natives,  — 

"  Yamshick,  yamshick !  skulka  versta  to  stancia  ?  " 

The  yamshick  addressed  would  state  the  distance  as 
near  as  he  knew  it,  and  then  our  petulant  companion 
would  whine  out  like  a  babe,  — 

"  You  lie,  you  —  !  You  said  it  was  only  eighty  an 
hour  ago." 

And  as  the  saddle-trees  cut,  so  would  the  greatly 
aggrieved  and  only  dolorous  member  in  our  party  growl 
and  anathematize  Yakut,  horse,  saddle,  and  bridle. 
Finally  a  bright  idea  occurred  to  him.  He  saw  that  in 
the  awarding  of  horses  at  the  various  stancias  a  few 
roubles  bestowed  on  yamshick  or  station-master  would 
secure  for  him  a  better  outfit.  And  so  for  a  time  he  was 
less  miserable;  but  presently  his  saddle  and  stirrups 
would  not  fit  him;  and  from  the  wholesale  manner  in 
which  he  grumbled  about  his  eating,  drinking,  sleeping, 


382  IN   THE  LENA  DELTA. 

about  everything  that  was  around  him,  the  sky  and  the 
earth  beneath,  —  I  seriously  doubt  if  his  halo  would  fit 
him  should  he  succeed  in  edging  his  way  into  Paradise, 
which  I  must  say,  however,  is,  in  my  opinion,  utterly  im- 
probable. And  what  if  he  were  possessed  of  all  Heaven 
itself,  its  fancied  comforts  and  glories  ?  Would  he  not 
fret  and  complain  and  pine  for  a  portion  of  Hell  as  a 
diversion  ?  My  language  is  thus  plain  and  strong  simply 
because  in  all  the  miles  of  my  travel  or  days  of  my  life, 
I  have  never  encountered  such  a  fault-finder.  He  quar- 
reled with  things  that  seemed  luxurious  to  some  of  us,  albeit 
we  would  have  preferred  better  accommodations  had  cir- 
cumstances been  different.  Yet  "  Dismal  John,"  as  he  was 
soon  dubbed,  made  no  such  allowance.  When  his  sharp 
practice  of  bribing  the  yamshicks  or  stancia-keepers  was 
discovered,  it  of  course  became  the  duty  of  one  of  our 
number  to  mount  the  wrong  horse  —  any  horse,  and  ride 
on  in  advance  much  to  the  disgust  of  "  Dismal  John." 

We  camped  in  the  valley  west  of  Kangerack  at  a  little 
old  hut  floored  with  ice  and  dripping  with  water  from  a 
leaky  roof.  Some  of  the  party  slept  outside  on  a  bed 
made  of  the  leaves  and  branches  of  the  pine,  fir,  and 
hemlock,  placed  close  to  a  great  roaring  fire,  wherein  we 
roasted  some  venison,  that  with  tea  and  sugar  and  the 
remainder  of  the  black  bread  which  Berry  brought  us 
composed  our  evening  meal.  Enjoying  a  good  night's 
rest,  we  started  betimes  for  the  next  stancia,  fifty  versts 
away,  on  the  edge  of  the  flooded  district.  The  natives 
desert  the  inundated  regions,  taking  to  the  high  lands, 
and  therefore  the  second  stancia  would  be  far  ahead,  one 
hundred  and  twenty  versts  distant ;  and  in  all  that  tract 
we  would  find  no  people,  no  horses,  no  game,  nothing  to 
eat.  Hence,  we  halted  for  forty-eight  hours  to  rest  our 
horses  and  allow  them  time  to  feed  on  the  dry  grass, 
which  the  dissolving  snow  was  abundantly  revealing. 

Taking  possession  of  the  deserted  povarnia,  we  killed 


THROUGH  SIBERIA.  383 

a  deer  that  we  had  brought  along  with  us  for  food,  and 
tethered  the  others  where  a  little  reindeer  -  moss  was 
showing  itself.  Just  as  we  arrived  at  the  stancia  a  Tun- 
guse  family  was  leaving  it,  mounted,  wife,  boys,  girls, 
and  babies,  on  the  backs,  or,  rather,  shoulders,  of  rein- 
deer. Two  of  the  smaller  children  were  suspended  on 
either  side  of  a  reindeer  by  means  of  a  strap  passing 
around  their  bodies  and  over  the  back  of  the  animal ; 
two  additional  thongs  adjusting  their  arms  and  legs  into 
position.  And  the  little  rats  did  not  seem  at  all  ruffled 
by  their  situation  ;  and  I  must  here  remark  the  decidedly 
superior  temper  and  behavior  of  both  Yakut  and  Tun- 
guse  babies  over  those  of  enlightened  Christendom. 

The  deluged  district,  which  had  been  so  thickly  popu- 
lated the  previous  winter,  was  now  the  picture  of  desola- 
tion. We  passed  through  quondam  villages  of  ten  or  fif- 
teen huts,  so  entirely  gutted  by  the  waters  that  only  the 
ragged  uprights  were  left  standing,  to  be  covered  afresh 
with  earth  for  the  winter's  occupation.  The  country 
bordering  on  the  river  was  overspread  with  short  tus- 
socky  grass,  with  patches  of  glassy  ice  between,  on  which 
our  feeble  and  unshod  horses  slipped  and  floundered,  giv- 
ing us  many  an  ugly  fall  and  ducking.  It  rained  almost 
incessantly,  —  a  cold  sleet-like  rain,  and  we  were  never 
dry  or  comfortable  ;  nor  did  even  the  oaths  and  groans 
of  our  dismal  companion  tend  to  promote  hilarity  in  our 
ranks.  At  the  povarnias  in  the  evenings  his  counte- 
nance would  light  up,  providing  we  had  been  able  during 
the  day  to  secure  a  duck  for  each  member  of  the  party, 
either  by  purchase  or  through  the  sportsmanship  of  the 
Cossacks.  Then  he  would  bestow  a  greedy  smile  upon 
our  cook,  Yapheme,  who,  inclosing  the  split  ducks  in  a 
long-handled  gridiron,  broiled  them  to  a  turn  with  pep- 
per, salt,  and  a  mixture  of  butter  and  tallow.  Yes,  I 
verily  believe  that  he  not  only  looked,  but  actually  felt 
glad  at  times,  if  he  received  the  first  pot  of  tea,  the  first 


381      .  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

duck,  if  it  was  a  large  and  tender  one,  and  broiled  ex- 
actly right,  —  yet  if  all  these  "  ifs  "  were  not  fulfilled  I 
am  quite  certain  he  was  still  wretched. 

Thus  we  progressed,  for  the  most  part  happy  and  con- 
tented, though  cold,  wet,  and  lousy,  until  we  arrived  on 
the  31st  day  of  May  at  the  bank  of  the  river  Aldan. 
Halting  and  building  a  fire,  we  hailed  the  ferryman  on 
the  opposite  bank,  and  discharged  our  guns  to  atti'act  his 
attention,  but  in  vain.  Finally  we  sent  a  Cossack  across 
in  a  canoe  which  we  found  moored  to  the  shore ;  and, 
pending  his  return,  we  surveyed  with  interest  the  sad 
havoc  which  the  flood  had  wrought  on  the  banks  of  this 
great  tributary  of  the  Lena.  Monstrous  blocks  of  ice  as 
large  as  small  cottages  lay  stranded  ashore,  and  the  water 
had  risen  in  places  to  a  height  of  forty  feet,  as  indicated 
by  the  drift-wood  lodged  in  trees,  thousands  of  which  had 
been  torn  up  by  the  roots  or  hurled  flat  by  the  overrun- 
ning ice,  and  swept  out  to  sea,  there  to  drift  on  that 
long  north  and  west  course  into  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  or 
float  down  on  the  southerly  current  and  strew  the  shores 
of  the  east  coast  of  Spitzbergen. 

We  were  ferried  across  the  Aldan  River  at  two  o'clock 
on  the  morning  of  June  1st,  in  a  large  flat-bottomed  boat 
fashioned  like  a  New  England  fishing  dory,  but  sharper 
at  the  stern  and  of  considerable  sheer.  It  was  probably 
sixty  feet  long  by  ten  or  twelve  feet  beam  and  four  feet 
deep  ;  open  from  stem  to  stern,  but  furnished  with  a 
raised  platform  amidships  on  which  the  passengers  sat ; 
and  it  was  rowed  by  eight  men,  some  of  our  party  assist- 
ing. The  scene  was  wildly  picturesque.  Our  roughly- 
built  boat;  the  savage  -  looking  oarsmen;  ourselves,  if 
anything,  more  savage  in  appearance,  clad  in  rags  and 
the  skins  of  beasts,  bearing  guns  and  other  trophies  of 
our  Arctic  travel;  the  dark,  cold  river;  the  massive  ice- 
blocks  standing  in  the  vast  silent  woods  like  so  many 
white   cottages ;    the  utter  loneliness  of  the  scene,  —  I 


THROUGH  SIBERIA.  385 

can  never  forget  it,  and  though  sick  at  heart  and  failing 
in  strength,  I  then  rejoiced  that  I  had  lived  to  witness  it. 

Landed  on  the  other  side,  we  were  soon  installed  in  a 
comfortable  hut,  and  partaking  of  a  good  meal  of  ducks  ; 
and  here  we  were  first  informed  of  the  narrow  escape  of 
Bubokoff,  Kolinkin,  and  Gilder.  I  could  not  advance  all 
of  my  party  on  the  morrow,  for  the  horses  which  were 
here  tendered  us  had  by  no  means  recovered  from  their 
constant  work  during  the  past  winter  ;  so  I  dispatched  a 
Cossack  and  Bartlett  ahead  to  prepare  the  way  for  our 
coming,  and  left  a  Cossack  and  another  of  my  men  be- 
hind to  follow  us  with  the  baggage. 

The  journey  from  the  river  Aldan  to  Yakutsk  was  most 
tedious  and  disagreeable,  but  arrive  we  did  at  last,  June 
7th,  and  were  welcomed  by  all  the  officials  of  the  town. 
Madame  Lempert  cooked  us  a  capital  dinner,  and  we  then 
repaired  to  the  Balogan  Americanski,  our  old  quarters 
of  the  preceding  winter,  where  we  found  Messrs.  Gilder 
and  Bartlett. 

The  day  following,  accompanied  by  Lieutenant  Berry, 
I  called  upon  the  governor  -  general,  who  received  me 
with  open  arms,  calling  me  his  son,  and  embracing  me 
fervently  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  as  though  I  had  been 
one  he  loved  just  arisen  from  the  grave.  He  compli- 
mented me  on  the  success  of  my  search ;  he  was  proud, 
he  said,  to  be  associated  with  such  a  "  son."  Returning 
our  call  the  next  day,  he  invited  Lieutenant  Berry  and 
myself  to  dinner,  to  meet  the  lieutenant-governor  and 
Lieutenant  Irjansk  of  the  Russian  Navy,  who  was  then 
at  Yakutsk  preparing  to  set  out  for  the  mouth  of  the 
Lena  River,  to  establish  a  meteorological  station  and 
make  a  survey  of  the  Delta. 

Lieutenants  Harber  and  Schuetze  had  not  yet  departed 
from  Vitim,  where  they  were  still  engaged  in  fitting  out  a 
small  schooner  and  several  light-draught  boats  for  their 
search  of   the   Delta,   they  having  sensibly  abandoned 

25 


386  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

their  original  idea  of  chartering  the  steamboat  Lena.  I 
was  disappointed  at  not  meeting  them  in  Yakutsk,  and 
so  drawing  sufficient  money  to  pay  off  all  my  debts  and 
the  expenses  of  my  party  to  New  York,  I  decided  to  pro- 
ceed at  once  to  Vitim. 

The  governor -general  gave  a  farewell  breakfast  at 
which  we  were  all  assembled,  and  many  were  our  toasts 
and  pleasant  speeches  and  fond  hopes  for  each  other's 
future  happiness  and  prosperity.  Accompanied,  then, 
by  the  governor  and  hosts  of  friends  we  sought  the 
steamer  Pioneer,  which  was  to  bear  us  up  the  river  as 
far  as  Vitim.  All  Yakutsk  was  out  to  see  us  off,  and 
about  five  o'clock  in  the  evening  of  June  11th  we  started 
slowly  up  the  Lena. 

The  steamer  was  small,  dirty,  and  hot.  Warm  weather 
had  now  set  in,  and  we  knew  no  rest  because  of  the  mos- 
quitoes. The  Pioneer  made  slow  progress  against  the 
swift  current,  at. times  making  none  at  all,  or  zigzag- 
ging her  course  to  avoid  the  rapids  or  dodge  into  eddies, 
and  so  crawl  up  stream.  It  was  a  mystery  to  me  how 
she  was  managed,  for  there  seemed  to  be  but  one  set  of 
men  who  ran  her  day  and  night  without  relief.  Our 
party  slept  in  the  two  little  cabins,  one  forward  and  the 
other  abaft  the  paddle-wheels,  and  luckily  there  were  no 
other  passengers.  We  drew  water  from  the  river  and 
washed  ourselves  in  a  deck-bucket,  using  our  own  soap 
and  towels.  We  had  agreed  to  pay  six  kopecks  per  verst 
for  transportation,  and  two  roubles  per  day  for  food,  but 
as  the  unchanging  diet  of  boiled  beef  and  tea  soon  palled 
on  us,  we  purchased  milk,  eggs,  and  other  provisions  at 
the  wooding  stations,  and  if  the  mosquitoes  had  not  in- 
terfered we  should  certainly  have  spent  an  amiable  and 
enjoyable  time. 

One  evening,  while  sitting  on  the  bows  of  the  boat  try- 
ing to  keep  cool,  we  saw  ahead  of  us  what  seemed  to  be  a 
great  sand-bank,  and  so  we  warned  the  pilot.     But  what 


THROUGH  SIBERIA.  387 

was  our  surprise  as  the  steamer  neared  the  bank  to  see  it 
arise  and  pass  over  and  on  either  side  of  us  like  a  column 
of  smoke.  It  was  a  bank  of  mosquitoes. .  Notwith- 
standing our  calico  head-covers  which  we  tucked  under 
our  coats,  and  which  had  horse-hair  faces  or  visors  at- 
tached, the  fine  midges  or  black  flies  managed  to  get 
through  and  into  our  eyes  and  nostrils,  causing  us  un- 
speakable annoyance.  To  protect  our  bodies  we  had 
buckskin  gloves  with  tie-strings  around  the  wrists,  but  the 
miserable  little  torments  got  at  us  nevertheless.  There 
was  a  ventilation  hole  in  my  fur  cap  through  which  they 
bit  me  on  the  top  of  the  head.     They  were  everywhere. 

The  second  day  on  the  river,  and  during  the  two  suc- 
ceeding days,  we  passed  the  most  remarkable  extent  of 
palisades  or  castellated  cliffs  I  have  ever  seen.  In  places 
they  towered  to  a  height  of  two  thousand  or  more  feet, 
and  for  miles  and  miles  the  wonderful  unbroken  rocky 
facade  arose  from  the  river,  turret  and  buttress  constantly 
varying  in  projections  of  columnar  beauty.  The  rock  had 
the  color  and  appearance  of  brown  sandstone  from  the 
deck  of  the  steamer,  but  I  could  not  fully  distinguish  it 
at  such  a  distance.  It  was  not  regular,  like  the  basaltic 
columns,  and  I  know  of  nothing  that  it  resembled  in  na- 
ture or  architecture  but  a  stupendous  front  of  castle  wall. 

On  the  morning  of  June  15th  I  was  told  by  the  cap- 
tain of  the  Pioneer  that  a  steamboat  had  passed  us  in  the 
night,  having  in  tow  a  schooner  and  two  small  boats.  He 
thought  it  might  have  been  the  Harber  party,  whom  I 
had  instructed  him  to  stop  in  order  that  we  might  consult 
together  ;  but  from  stupidit}*-  or  a  rascally  fear  of  losing 
some  passage  money  he  had  deliberately  allowed  them 
to  go  by.  However,  it  made  but  little  difference,  for  in 
several  days  we  arrived  at  Olekma,  where  I  found  a  note 
left  for  me  by  Lieutenant  Harber,  the  first  communica- 
tion I  had  received  from  him.  He  therein  desired  me  to 
return  to  Yakutsk  should  we  miss  each  other  on  the  river. 


388  IN   THE  LENA    DELTA. 

This  I  did  not  think  at  all  necessary,  since  I  had  al- 
ready completed  to  ray  own  satisfaction  a  fruitless  coast- 
wise search  for  Chipp,  and  at  the  only  time  when  it 
would  be  possible  to  find  traces  of  him  had  he  landed. 
For  if  any  track  or  vestige  had  indeed  escaped  my  no- 
tice, it  had  ere  this  time  been  swept  away  by  the  spring 
floods.  Yet  as  Lieutenant  Berry  was  about  to  dispatch 
Ensign  Hunt  to  join  the  Harber  party,  I  concluded  to 
send  along  with  him  fireman  Bartlett,  who  volunteered 
to  go.  I  also  prepared  for  the  party's  guidance  a  letter 
of  instructions,  and  a  chart  of  the  Delta  on  which  my 
various  tracks  were  marked.  Returning  to  Yakutsk  on 
horseback,  Hunt  and  Bartlett  met  Lieutenant  Harber, 
who  was  riding  back  in  the  hope  of  overtaking  me  on 
the  Pioneer,  and  he  would  doubtless  have  succeeded  had 
he  not  encountered  Hunt,  who  gave  him  my  letter  and 
chart.1 

1  [Lieutenants  Harber  and  Schuetze  pushed  forward  in  their  little 
schooner,  the  Search,  and  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Lena  in  July, 
1882.     Their  coastwise  search  for  Chipp  was  barren  of  results. 

In  December  they  received  at  Yakutsk  the  order  (which  had  been 
six  months  in  transmission)  to  bring  back  the  bodies  of  De  Long 
and  party  to  the  United  States,  Congress  having  appropriated 
$25,000  for  that  purpose. 

Below  is  a  table  of  the  magnificent  distances  over  which  the  re- 
mains, wrapped  in  felt  and  placed  in  metallic  caskets,  were  trans- 
ported :  — 

Table  of  Distances.  Miles. 

Mat  Vay,  by  reindeer  sleds,  to  Yakutsk         .         .         .         800 
Yakutsk,  by  horse-sled,  to  Irkutsk     ....  2,342 

Irkutsk,  by  horse-sled,  to  Krasnoyarsk  .         .         .         .         670 
Krasnoyarsk,  by  horse-sled,  to  Tomsk       .         .         .  367 

Tomsk,  by  horse-sled,  to  Omsk 582 

Omsk,  by  horse-sled,  to  Orenburg     ....  1,000 

Orenburg,  by  railroad,  to  Moscow  (about)    .         .         .  900 

Moscow,  by  railroad,  to  Hamburg     ....  1,390 

Hamburg  to  New  York 4,140 


Total 12,191 

At  Hamburg  the  two  officers  embarked  with  their  dead  on  the 


THROUGH  SIBERIA.  389 

I  continued  on  my  journey  up  the  Lena  ;  the  villages 
becoming  quite  numerous,  though  still  small  and  scatter- 
ing. The  people  here  carry  on  a  feeble  kind  of  agricul- 
ture ;  own  some  cattle ;  a  few  chickens  ;  cut  wood  for  the 
steamboats ;  fish  a  little,  and  work  as  watermen  on  the 
river.  We  now  passed  great  numbers  of  large  barges 
belonging  to  wealthy  coperts.  They  are  capacious  store- 
houses, forty,  some  eighty,  feet  long,  built  of  heavy  tim- 
ber, decked  over,  and  strongly  fastened  together  with 
wooden  tree-nails,  the  seams  being  caulked  with  moss  and 
payed  with  pitch.  They  are  built  on  the  banks  of  the 
river  in  winter  time  and  launched  by  the  spring  floods, 
being  freighted  with  all  sorts  of  goods  suitable  for  trade  ; 
and  they  float  down  stream  with  the  current,  occasion- 
ally flying  a  sail,  and  being  steered  by  means  of  three 
long  sweeps  forty  or  more  feet  in  length,  which  are  rarely 
used  to  propel,  but  only  to  guide  them  clear  of  the  shoals. 
They  halt  at  all  the  villages  along  the  river,  and  often 
congregate  at  some  large  settlement  and  hold  a  bazaar. 
These,  of  course,  are  gala  days  to  the  villagers,  who  forth- 
with affect  the  cheap  colognes  and  gaudy  bandanas,  con- 
siderably to  the  glee  of  the  flourishing  coperts. 

We  visited  several  of  these  barges,  our  companion  and 
interpreter,  Captain  Gronbeck,  being  acquainted  with 
many  of  the  traders,  who  all  received  us  with  distin- 
guished consideration.  Some  of  the  barges  were  nicely 
furnished,  and  the  merchants  were  accompanied  by  their 
wives,  or  had  a  few  passengers  on  board.  They  all  make 
Yakutsk  their  terminus,  and  if  they  have  not  entirely 
disposed  of  their  goods  by  the  time  they  arrive  there, 
they  hold  an  auction,  and  also  sell  their  barges  for  fire- 
steamer  Frisia,  arriving  at  New  York  February  20,  1884,  after  an 
absence  of  two  years  and  sixteen  days.  Everywhere  along  the 
whole  route,  in  Asia,  Europe,  and  America,  the  dead  heroes  were 
honored  with  rich  tributes  of  respect,  and  the  final  grand  procession 
and  solemn  burial  in  New  York  on  Washington's  Birthday  of  this 
year  (1884)  are  yet  fresh  in  the  memory  of  the  reader.  —  Ed.] 


390  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

wood  or  building  material,  as  the  timber  is  all  hewn  and 
easily  taken  apart.  The  banks  of  the  river  are  strewn 
with  the  wrecks  of  the  monster  boats,  which  have  either 
come  to  grief  or  been  turned  adrift  after  discharging 
their  cargoes. 

There  were  many  exile  Scaup  villages  along  the  river. 
I  visited  one  inhabited  by  thirty-three  men  and  three 
women,  all  mutilated  and  miserable  looking,  but  thrifty 
and  prosperous  ;  and  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  the  love  of 
money  is  the  root  of  their  religious  frenzy.  They  were 
anxious  to  purchase  a  flour-mill  and  drive  it  by  means 
of  a  wind-mill,  —  quite  an  institution  thereabouts.  The 
Scaups  raise  great  quantities  of  vegetables,  and  are  the 
only  industrious  farmers  on  the  Lena.  Their  estates 
upon  death  go  into  the  state  treasury,  but  they  always 
manage  to  quietly  rid  themselves  of  their  property  before 
they  die  ;   so  the  governor  told  me. 

While  paddling  along  the  river  I  beheld  two  dead  men 
floating  in  the  stream,  and  had  seen  one  earlier  in  the 
day.  Mentioning  the  fact  to  the  captain  of  our  boat,  he 
said :  — 

"  Yes ;  we  passed  two  others  this  morning  before  you 
arose.  They  are  only  the  men  from  the  mines  who  come 
to  attend  the  bazaar,  get  drunk,  and  kill  each  other ;  and, 
besides,  there  are  many  Judes,  who  murder  people  for 
their  money.  I  have  seen  fifteen  corpses  floating  in  'the 
river  at  one  time."  And  Captain  Gronbeck  confirmed 
his  statement. 

These  criminals  who  are  sent  to  the  mines  are  a  hope- 
less collection  of  cut-throats.  Those,  I  believe,  employed 
by  Alexander  Silenikoff  are  all  fed,  clothed,  and  paid  for 
their  labor,  and  allowed  to  visit  the  bazaars  and  spend 
their  earnings,  which  they  mostly  do  in  drink,  and  their 
orgies  end  in  death  and  a  watery  grave. 

We  changed  steamers  at  a  large  village  of  four  or  five 
thousand  inhabitants,  called  Karinsk,  boarding  the  Con- 


THROUGH  SIBERIA.  391 

stantine,  a  more  powerful  and  commodious  boat,  in  which 
our  progress  up  the  river  became  pleasantly  perceptible. 
The  Lena's  banks  were  now  dotted  with  villages  ten  or 
fifteen  versts  apart,  and  at  many  points  within  sight  of 
each  other.  At  Omalai  we  abandoned  the  Constantine, 
and  continued  our  journey  on  the  river  in  tow-boats. 
These  are  about  forty  feet  long  and  ten  feet  beam,  built 
in  the  shape  of  a  whale-boat,  with  sharp  ends,  but 
daring  side?,  and  flat  bottoms  like  a  dory. 
They  are  steered  with  a  long  oar,  and  drawn  by  three  or 
five  horses  attached  to  a  tow-line  about  fifty  yards  in 
length.  One  or  two  riders  guide  the  horses,  and  the 
charges  are  three  or  five  kopecks  per  verst  for  three  or 
five  horses,  and  a  gratuity  of  ten  kopecks  to  each  rider 
and  the  steersman.  The  rate  of  speed  is  a  lively  walk, 
though  the  horses  occasionally  break  into  a  harmless  trot. 
A  platform  is  raised  for  the  passengers :  and  there  is  a 
movable  shelter,  a  little  less  wide  than  the  beam  of  the 

and  ten  feet  long,  made  of  bent  |  -red  with 

.=  and  painted  with  bitumen.  It  is  open  at  front 
and  back,  but  in  daytime  a  curtain  is  hung  at  the  sunny 
end.  and  the  air  drawing  through  keeps  the  passengers 
cool.  We  traveled  about  three  hundred  versts  in  these 
boats,  at  the  rate  of  from  sixty  to  eighty  versts  a  day, 
buying  eggs,  milk,  and  bread  at  the  boat  stations,  and 
cooking  our  tea  as  we  went  alone. 

Our  journey  of  four  hundred  and  fifty  versts  to  Irkutsk 

performed  in  the  tara?itas8,  a  large  four- wheeled 
coach  carried  on  long  pole  springs  and  leather  straps,  in 
the  manner  of  our  old-fashioned  carriages,  and  drawn  by 
three  or  five  horses  hitched  abreast.  We  ran  along  day 
and  night,  sleeping  in  our  tarantass,  or  tallega,  another 
kind  of  four-wheeled  conveyance  covered  in  against  the 
sun  and  rain.  These  vehicles  are  as  heavy  as  an  ordinary 
omnibus,  and  are  intended  to  hold  two  or  three  passen- 

the  fare  being  three  kopecks  per  verst  for  three 


392  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

horses,  irrespective  of  the  number  of  passengers,  one,  two, 
or  three ;  but  three  kopecks  per  verst  extra  for  two  addi- 
tional horses,  and  a  gratuity  of  ten  kopecks  to  the  yam- 
shick,  the  omission  of  which  is  sure  to  rob  the  horses  of 
all  speed. 

I  found  an  utter  lack  of  honesty  among  the  station- 
keepers,  who  are  supposed  to  forward  all  travelers  at  reg- 
ular rates  and  in  regular  order.  But  as  soon  as  it  be- 
comes known  that  the  traveler  is  in  a  hurry  and  willing 
to  pay  extra  money,  so  soon  is  he  informed  that  there 
are  no  horses,  or  that  those  on  hand  must  be  kept  for  the 
"  posta."  But,  the  station -keeper  tells  you,  he  has  a 
friend,  Ivan,  from  whom  you  can  hire  horses  for  double, 
treble,  or  five  times  the  usual  rates.  I  allowed  myself,  at 
times,  to  pay  these  outrageous  prices,  in  order  to  keep 
our  dolorous  companion  in  the  rear,  and  I  managed  to 
do  so  until  we  reached  a  station  twenty  versts  from  Ir- 
kutsk, where  I  secured  the  only  post-horses  in  the  vil- 
lage ;  but  while  breakfasting,  "  Dismal  John  "  arrived 
in  delirious  haste,  and,  paying  the  premium  for  "Ivan's"' 
horses,  managed  to  outstrip  me  in  the  race  to  Irkutsk. 

We  all  repaired  to  the  Hotel  Decco,  and  I  at  once  tel- 
egraphed the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  of  the  arrival  of  my- 
self and  party  with  all  the  records  of  the  expedition, 
and  requested  permission  to  return  home.  The  answer 
to  my  telegram  was  thus  orthographically  mutilated :  — 

"  AVashington,  July  8lh. 
"  May  return  home  with  pary. 

"  Chander,  Secretary." 

I  then  called  upon  the  lieutenant-governor,  Pedo- 
shenko,  and  other  officials,  receiving  a  warm  welcome 
from  all. 

Irkutsk  is  the  grand  emporium  of  the  far  Northeast ;  a 
city  of  about  25,000  inhabitants,  and  well  built  of  brick 
and  wood.  A  large  section  of  it  was  destroyed  by  fire  in 
1878,  and  the  residents  having  none  of  the  public  spirit 


THROUGH  SIBERIA.  393 

displayed  in  our  cities,  where  such  damages  are  almost 
instantly  made  good,  the  ruins  still  remain  undisturbed. 
It  was  a  noteworthy  sight  to  see  the  caravans  coming 
in  from  the  distant  south,  laden  with  the  tea  and  other 
produce  of  China  and  Tartary.  Many  Chinamen  were 
assembled  here,  all  active  business  men ;  but  not  in  the 
laundry  line,  for  which  Irkutsk  has  little  patronage.  Ex- 
iles, too,  of  every  grade  are  abundant,  from  the  murderer 
to  the  unlucky  prince  or  political  offender. 

Lieutenant  Berry  was  possessed  of  a  fine  gold  chro- 
nometer watch  which  needed  repairing,  and  he  was  rec- 
ommended to  a  watchmaker  of  the  same  name  as  the 
celebrated  Danish  chronometer-maker,  Jiirgensen.  We 
visited  his  shop  together,  and,  after  Berry  had  displayed 
his  handsome  chronometer,  I  for  amusement  drew  forth 
my  old  time-piece,  which  for  more  than  twenty  years  had 
been  measuring  off  the  minutes  of  my  life  all  over  the 
globe.  The  old  man  smiled  at  sight  of  it,  but  undertook 
to  put  it  in  good  order,  and  so  I  left  it  with  him.  And 
here  I  will  redeem  a  promise  I  have  somewhere  made  of 
telling  the  story  of  my  watch's  vicissitudes  during  the 
cruise  of  the  Jeannette. 

On  the  day  when  the  Jeannette  sank,  her  bows  were 
thrown  upward,  the  ice  ceased  for  a  spell  its  fierce  intent 
to  crush  her ;  and  as  the  sun  was  shining  brightly,  De 
Long  requested  me  to  make  a  photograph  of  the  doomed 
ship.  So  I  set  up  the  camera,  using  my  watch  to  time 
the  plate,  and  hence  when  the  Jeannette  went  down  I 
had  the  watch  upon  my  person,  otherwise  it  would  have 
been  lost  with  the  rest  of  my  valuables.  While  in  the 
dark  room  developing  the  plate,  it  may  be  recalled  that 
the  ice  again  began  its  fatal  ramming,  and  the  word  was 
passed  for  all  hands  to  abandon  the  ship.  I  left  the  plate 
unfinished  to  attend  to  other  and  more  urgent  duties,  and 
while  on  the  ice  handed  my  old  watch  to  Walter  Lee.  I 
was  about  to  throw  it  away,  but  he  said,  M  Give  it  to 


394  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

me,  Chief,  and  I  will  carry  it.     If  we  ever  get  back  to 
the  United  States  I  wall  return  it  to  you." 

So  we  started  on  the  long  march  across  the  frozen  sea. 
Lee  was  not  very  sure-footed ;  he  had  been  shot  through 
both  hips  daring  our  civil  war,  and  now  kept  tumbling 
into  the  water  —  and  such  water!  —  with  almost  inten- 
tional regularity.  Of  course  the  old  single-cased  watch 
came  in  for  its  share  of  the  wettings,  and  at  each  one 
Lee  would  calmly  empty  it  of  the  salt  sea  wave.  And 
still  it  continued  to  keep  time;  albeit  the  rusting  of  its 
iron  and  steel  parts  soon  streaked  and  stained  the  golden 
face,  rim,  and  back,  and  made  of  it  a  mirth-provoking 
thing. 

Once  while  the  entire  party  —  men,  dogs,  boats,  sleds, 
and  equipment  —  were  crossing  an  open  lead  on  a  great 
ice-raft,  the  rope  on  which  we  were  hauling  (it  being 
fastened  at  both  sides  of  the  lead)  parted  with  consider- 
able force,  and  one  end  struck  Lee  a  smart  blow  on  the 
ribs,  stretching  him  out,  and  at  the  same  time  smashing 
the  crystal  of  the  watch.  That  evening  Lee  came  to  me 
and  reported  the  damage,  saying  that  both  hands  had 
also  been  detached  or  broken.  I  laughed  and  told  him 
to  throw  the  watch  away,  it  was  not  worth  carrying 
longer.  But  no,  he  said,  it  was  a  great  pleasure  to  the 
men  to  be  told  the  time  of  day  ;  and  so  Sweetman,  the 
carpenter,  made  a  pair  of  wooden  cases  for  it,  like  a  pair 
of  clam-shells,  and  Lee  with  his  sheath-knife  cut  a  tin 
hand  and  drove  it  down  on  the  hour  spindle,  and  all  was 
well  again.  By  this  arrangement,  when  the  tin  hand 
pointed  at  twelve  it  was  either  noon  or  midnight ;  when 
a  quarter  of  the  way  between  twelve  and  one,  it  was  a 
quarter  past  twelve ;  half  way,  half-past,  and  so  on  ;  for 
a  minute  hand  is  a  frivolous  luxury  in  the  Arctic  Circle. 

And  so  the  old  watch  ticked  on  through  many  a  duck- 
ing, since  it  seemed  that  Lee  was  amphibious,  going 
overboard  as  if  "  to  the  manner  born."     But  at  length  the 


THROUGH  SIBERIA.  395 

time  arrived  when  we  were  all  told  off  to  the  boats,  Lee 
seeking  his  fate  in  the  first  cutter,  and  as  there  was  no 
watch  in  the  whale-boat  I  was  glad  to  come  in  possession 
of  my  own  again,  and  placed  it  under  the  care  of  Mr. 
Danenhower,  for  it  would  have  been  very  inconvenient 
for  me  to  attend  to  it  while  holding  the  sheet  and  sailing 
the  boat  with  my  cracked  and  swollen  hands.  One  day 
I  noticed  Danenhower  winding  the  watch  several  times. 
I  inquired  the  trouble,  and  he  said  he  could  not  under- 
stand it;  that  he  might  keep  turning  the  key  all  day 
without  fully  winding  it  up,  and  yet  the  watch  ticked 
on.  In  short,  the  mainspring  was  not  broken,  but  had 
partially  slipped  on  its  spindle,  still  retaining  enough 
power  to  propel  the  works  for  about  four  hours.  So  it 
was  wound  every  third  hour  until  we  reached  Jama- 
veloch,  when  we  hung  it  up  in  the  hut  for  our  common 
benefit,  and  then  some  one  must  needs  step  upon  and 
mash  the  wooden  cases. 

When  I  arrived  at  Verkeransk  one  of  the  political 
exiles,  the  "  Little  Blacksmith,"  soldered  a  brass  plate  in 
the  ci-ystal  rim,  and  as  he  had  no  watch-hand  the  old  tin 
one  of  Lee's  make  continued  to  do  duty,  and  the  old 
watch  still  ran  on.  In  Yakutsk  Bartlett  came  upon  a 
watchmaker  who  tampered  with  it,  and  was  pleased  to 
ask  if  I  wished  a  second-hand  put  on.  I  did  not ;  hours 
and  minutes  subdivided  Siberian  time  quite  finely  enough 
for  me  ;  but  on  our  journey  to  the  Delta  I  discovered 
that  the  faithful  old  ticker  did  not  tick  as  well  as  it  did 
before  the  exile  had  it  to  repair,  and  upon  opening  the 
case  I  found  that  one  of  the  jewels  was  gone.  The  little 
rogue  had  stolen  the  stone  and  replaced  it  with  a  piece 
of  brass  on  which  the  friction  was  so  great  that  thence- 
forth I  had  to  ease  or  compress  one  of  the  screws  in  order 
to  regulate  the  running  of  the  watch. 

And  now  at  Irkutsk  the  old  gentleman  watchmaker 
informed  me  that  the  second-hand  movement  had  been 


396  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

purloined  by  his  fellow-laborer  in  Yakutsk,  who  doubt- 
less had  as  good  use  for  it  as  had  the  young  exile  for  my 
jewel,  and  I  at  once  understood  why  he  was  so  particular 
in  inquiring  if  I  would  have  the  second-hand  renewed. 
However,  I  paid  Mr.  Jiirgensen  nine  roubles  for  the 
kindly  interest  he  displayed  in  its  welfare ;  but  although 
it  had  been  able  to  withstand  the  rigors  of  Arctic  travel, 
its  undermined  strength  succumbed  to  the  treatment  of 
the  Siberian  artisan,  and  I  despaired  of  its  future  use- 
fulness. 

Finally,  arriving  at  Philadelphia,  I  laid  it  away  as  a 
relic,  but  a  certain  sympathetic  friend  decided  that  it 
should  be  cleaned  and  put  in  order  once  again.  Now  it 
is  fair  to  look  upon  ;  the  rust  stains  have  departed  its 
poor  old  face  ;  and  as  I  write  these  words  in  the  ward- 
room of  the  steamer  Thetis,  it  is  at  sea  once  more,  bound 
on  another  Arctic  voyage,  and  within  its  case  I  have  just 
discovered  the  inscription,  "  Tobias,  No.  121305;  Liver- 
pool." What,  I  would  like  to  know,  has  been  the  fate  of 
121304?  or  of  121306?  And  I  wonder  if  old  Tobias 
himself  has  worn  as  well  as  his  watch  ;  and  I  sincerely 
trust,  at  least,  that  his  inside  works  have  not  been  so 
ruthlessly  doctored  or  deranged. 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 
HOMEWARD  BOUND. 

Governor  Anutchin.  —  On  to  Tomsk.  —  A  Current  Ferry-Boat.  — 
Agricultural  Settlements.  —  Rascally  Stancia-Keepers  and  Yam- 
shicks.  —  Their  Methods.  —  Exiles  in  Droves.  —  At  Tomsk.  —  The 
"  Hotel  Million."  —  Attentive  Mr.  Hildenberger. —  On  the  River 
Obi.  —  Tobolsk.  —  Tuamen.  —  Floating  Jails.  —  Ekaterinborg.  — 
Perm.  — Nijni  Novgorod  and  the  Great  Bazaar.  —  Moscow.  —  St. 
Petersburg.  —  Our  Reception.  —  A  Day  at  Peterhof.  —  Home. 

General  Anutchin,  Governor- General  of  Irkutsk, 
was  absent  on  a  visit  to  St.  Petersburg,  but  lie  was  daily 
expected  to  return,  and  when  he  did,  a  general  holiday 
was  proclaimed,  the  entire  populace  turned  out  to  wel- 
come him,  and  there  was  a  fine  display  of  fireworks  in 
the  evening.  Lieutenant  Berry  and  myself  called  upon 
him,  and  also  paid  our  respects  to  his  wife  and  daughter. 
The  following  day  one  of  his  aids  visited  us,  and  ar- 
ranged for  a  dinner  at  the  gubernatorial  mansion,  at 
which  there  were  present  Berry,  Jackson,  Larsen,  Gil- 
der, and  myself.  The  governor  and  his  daughter  spoke 
excellent  English,  the  latter  being  dressed  at  dinner  in 
the  national  costume  —  a  short- waisted  and  short-skirted 
gown  of  white  linen,  embroidered  and  inserted  with  blue 
and  red  ;  her  head  crowned  with  a  gilt  tiara,  and  her 
hair  flowing  loosely  down  her  back.  She  was  very  beau- 
tiful, and  looked  every  inch  a  queen. 

As  soon  as  possible,  I  prevailed  upon  the  governor  to 
assist  me  in  securing  a  quick  and  safe  passage  through 
his  territory  towards  Russia.     He  provided  me  with  an 


398  IN   THE  LENA    DELTA. 

open  letter  and  a  doubly-stamped  road  passport  that  di- 
rected all  of  his  minions  to  give  me  the  right  of  way  on 
the  post-road,  saving  only  the  mails,  which  was  a  loop- 
hole quite  large  enough  to  permit  any  rascally  road-mas- 
ter to  withhold  his  horses  for  a  valuable  consideration. 

Lieutenant  Berry  and  myself,  traveling  together,  pur- 
chased a  tarantass  for  our  own  use,  and  hired  those  at 
the  stancias  for  the  accommodation  of  the  two  men  who 
still  remained  with  me.  I  also  hired  a  tallega  to  convey 
our  baggage  and  the  two  boxes  of  relics,  and  purchased 
mattresses  and  leather  pillows  for  the  bottoms  of  our 
wagons ;  for  we  slept  in  them,  riding  night  and  day,  and 
only  halting  at  the  stations  long  enough  to  change  our 
horses  and  make  an  occasional  meal  of  tea,  milk,  boiled 
eggs,  or  such  other  simple  food  as  we  could  buy. 

Here  at  Irkutsk  I  paid  off  and  parted  from  my  faith- 
ful interpreter  and  companion,  Captain  Joachim  Gron- 
beck,  who  accepted  an  appointment  under  Alexander  Si- 
lenikoff  to  exploi-e  the  rapids  of  the  Yenisei  River  from 
Irkutsk  to  the  Arctic  Ocean  ;  thence  to  find  and  blaze  a 
road  from  the  Yenisei  to  Archangel ;  and  thence  to  pro- 
ceed to  Sweden,  his  native  land. 

On  July  14th,  wishing  our  numerous  pleasant  acquain- 
tances in  Irkutsk  farewell,  we  set  forth  on  a  1,500  verst 
(1,000  mile)  wagon  ride  to  Tomsk.  The  first  river  to 
the  westwai'd  is  the  Yenisei,  which  we  crossed  on  a  cur- 
rent ferry-boat,  capable  of  holding  six  teams  and  one 
hundred  passengers,  moored  up-stream  by  an  anchor  and 
grass  hawser.  This  hawser  was  five  hundred  yards  in 
length,  and  its  weight  was  carried  on  a  series  of  eight 
or  ten  small  flat-boats  or  scows.  A  large  square  frame 
was  raised  about  the  centre  of  the  boat,  extending  its 
whole  beam,  and  perhaps  one  third  of  its  length,  and  the 
hawser  traversed  the  forward  part  of  this  frame-work, 
which  was  greased  to  facilitate  slipping.  With  every- 
thing in  order  for  a  start,  a  man  on  the  upper  platform 


HOMEWARD  BOUND.  399 

above  the  passengers'  heads  began  walking  with  a  huge 
tiller,  and  the  boat  moved  slowly  out  into  the  stream. 
Presently  the  hawser  slipped  over  the  forward  end  of  the 
frame- work,  and  then  the  boat  shot  rapidly  across  the 
river,  and  it  became  necessary  to  exercise  considerable 
care  and  attention,  as  we  approached  the  opposite  shore, 
to  prevent  a  too  sudden  landing  alongside  of  the  tempo- 
rary pier  and  staging.  We  were  thus  ferried  over  many 
rivers  of  all  sizes,  between  Irkutsk  and  Tomsk. 

The  country  through  which  we  passed  was  exceedingly 
beautiful,  —  rolling,  well- watered,  and  wooded.  Splendid 
crops  of  rye  and  some  wheat  and  oats  gave  the  land- 
scape a  cultivated  look,  and  everywhere  there  was  an 
abundance  of  cattle  and  horses.  The  villages  along  the 
road  were  not  far  apart,  and  contained  as  many  as  one 
thousand  inhabitants.  They  are  all  agricultural  settle- 
ments conducted  upon  a  partial  commune  system,  under 
the  governing  rules  of  which  each  member  must  take  a 
section  of  the  soil,  till  it,  and  pay  its  taxes,  and  no  person 
can  hold  the  same  tract  two  years  in  succession  without 
paying  for  the  privilege.  It  is  very  strange,  at  first,  to 
see  a  hundred  acres  of  land  planted  in  fifty  long  distinct 
strips  of  rye,  oats,  or  wheat,  by  as  many  husbandmen, 
each  one  of  whom  the  following  season  or  year  may  rent 
and  plant  a  different  strip.  The  cattle  are  grazed  in  a 
body  or  herd  by  an  attendant,  who  keeps  them  away 
from  the  crops  and  watches  the  gate  to  the  village. 
Sheep  are  plentiful,  but  swine  by  no  means  as  numerous 
as  I  had  expected  they  would  be  in  a  country  whose  peo- 
ple are  so  fond  of  pork. 

The  distance  between  relays  is  from  sixteen  to  thirty 
versts,  and  the  speed  of  fresh  horses  is  about  ten  versts 
an  hour.  But  then  the  changing  operation  at  the  sta- 
tions consumes  anywhere  from  forty  minutes  to  two 
hours,  according  to  the  temper  and  trickishness  of  the 
station-master  and  grooms,  for  they  are  beyond  doubt 


400  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

the  meanest  lot  of  beggars  and  knaves  on  the  face  of  the 
earth.  The  station-master  can  never  change  bills  for  the 
traveler, "and  so  he  secures  the  odd  kopecks ;  but  he  did 
not  rob  me  of  mine,  for  I  armed  myself  with  a  bagful  of 
fractional  silver  and  copper  currency,  greatly  to  his  dis- 
gust. If  you  are  in  a  hurry,  he  has  no  horses ;  but,  as  I 
have  stated  before,  the  dishonest  fellow  can  always  in- 
duce "Ivan,"  his  fictitious  friend,  to  supply  you  with 
plenty  if  you  are  fool  enough  to  rent  them  at  two  or 
three  prices.  Then,  too,  the  drivers  openly  pass  the  word 
along  from  station  to  station  :  — 

"  These  people  pay  twenty  kopecks  gratuity  to  their 
yamshicks  if  they  are  driven  rapidly."  Or,  —  "  Fifteen 
kopecks  are  all  they  pay ;  they  are  in  no  hurry.  Their 
wagon  was  greased  at  four  o'clock  this  morning ;  make 
them  grease  it  again  and  get  your  money.  They  are 
Americans,  and  don't  drink  tea  or  want  the  samovar  ; 
but  if  you  make  good  time  you  will  get  twenty  ko- 
pecks !  " 

Consequently  a  ten-kopeck  gratuity  means  a  walk  for 
the  horses;  and  five  kopecks,  a  succession  of  long  rests 
while  the  yamshicks  smoke  and  curse. 

We  passed  many  exiles,  men,  women,  and  children,  in 
companies  of  from  two  to  five  hundred,  marching  wea- 
rily towards  far  Siberia.  They  were  mostly  of  the  crim- 
inal classes,  all  their  heads  being  half  or  clean-shaven. 
A  majority  of  the  men  were  in  chains,  and  many  were 
linked  together.  Not  a  few  of  the  women  marched 
among  the  men  as  prisoners,  while  the  rest  trudged  on 
into  voluntary  exile,  holding  the  hands  of  their  husbands, 
brothers,  lovers,  or  children.  Many  of  the  sick,  aged, 
and  young  were  in  wagons,  but  all  the  others  toiled 
along  the  dusty  road  like  droves  of  cattle,  under  the 
vigilance  of  a  guard  of  from  ten  to  a  dozen  Cossacks, 
mounted  or  on  foot,  and  in  charge  of  an  officer  usually 
taking   his  ease  in  a  carriage.     These  were  distressing 


HOMEWARD  BOUND.  401 

sights.  Once  we  met  a  family  of  Jews,  husband,  wife, 
and  two  children,  in  a  wagon,  with  a  soldier,  his  gun 
and  bayonet  fixed,  riding  alongside  ;  and  we  stopped  to 
change  horses  with  the  party,  as  we  were  then  about 
midway  between  stations.  The  father,  a  bright,  intelli- 
gent fellow,  addressed  us  in  German,  and  said  he  had 
been  wealthy  and  was  exiled  to  the  Yenisei  country  sim- 
ply because  he  was  a  Jew.  His  eyes  brightened  with 
delight  when  he  heard  that  we  were  Americans,  and  the 
next  instant  clouded  with  regret  at  the  bitter  conscious- 
ness of  his  captivity.  Four  thousand  of  his  townsmen, 
he  said,  had  emigrated  to  America,  and  then  pointing  to 
his  wife  and  two  pretty  children,  the  tears  rolled  down 
his  cheeks  as  he  faltered  out,  —  "  Siberie."  Poor  fellow, 
that  word  has  all  the  import  of  a  hell  to  many,  many 
more  than  him.  We  should  have  reached  Tomsk  before 
noon,  but  at  next  to  the  last  station  from  it  there  were 
no  horses,  and  I  paid  double  rates  (five  roubles  for  fifteen 
versts)  in  the  hope  of  procuring  horses  at  regular  rates  at 
the  last  station  ;  for  there  is  generally  a  good  supply  of 
them  near  the  large  settlements.  But  the  wretches  of  yam- 
shicks  sent  word  ahead  that  we  were  in  a  hurry,  and  as  a 
matter  of  course  the  station-master  announced  a  dearth 
of  horses.  Then  his  accomplices  asked  ten  roubles  for 
twenty-nine  versts,  or  an  advance  of  about  3.6  times 
upon  the  usual  rates.  I  offered  double  fare  (8  r.  20  k.), 
but  they  would  not  accept,  feeling  confident  that  I  must 
finally  accede  to  their  exorbitant  demands.  So  I  sat 
down,  risking  the  chance  of  losing  our  steamer,  which 
was  advertised  to  sail  the  following  clay ;  and  I  calmly 
waited  until  the  post-horses  came  in  and  had  their  hour's 
rest.  The  yamshicks  who  had  refused  to  carry  us  for 
eight  roubles  and  twenty  kopecks  then  suggested  that 
they  would  accommodate  us  for  six  roubles,  but  I  was 
deaf  to  their  blarney,  for  I  had  beaten  them  at  last, 
though  at  a  loss  of  three  hours. 

26 


402  IN   THE  LENA    DELTA. 

At  Tomsk  we  patronized  the  "  Hotel  Million  Siberie," 
which  internally  was  the  most  horrible  building  I  have 
ever  been  in.  Its  corridors  were  long  and  dark,  and  its 
square  cell-like  doors  so  low  that  I  had  to  stoop  to  enter 
them,  and  on  the  outside  their  appearance  was  rendered 
the  more  forbidding  by  large  black  iron  padlocks  and 
hasps.  The  proprietor  wandered  along  with  an  enormous 
bunch  of  keys,  opening  the  doors  and  exhibiting  his 
apartments,  and  at  first  I  actually  believed  that  the  yain- 
shick  had  misunderstood  my  order  and  taken  us  to  visit  a 
Siberian  prison,  instead  of  conducting  us  to  a  hotel.  Up- 
stairs, however,  the  rooms  were  much  better.  Each  one 
was  furnished  with  a  bedstead,  two  chairs,  and  a  chest  of 
drawers,  but  there  were  no  washing  arrangements  what- 
ever, or  mattresses  or  bedding  ;  for  every  traveler  in 
Siberia  is  expected  to  carry  his  own  pillows  and  bed- 
clothes. Here  we  put  up,  at  any  rate,  dining  at  the  res- 
taurant, which  perhaps  was  even  more  repulsive  than  the 
rooms. 

We  called  at  the  telegraph  station,  and  found  four  tel- 
egrams awaiting  us,  two  for  Berry  and  two  for  myself. 
Shortly  afterwards  a  Mr.  Hildenberger,  who  was  in  the 
employ  of  the  telegraph  company  as  English  interpreter, 
called  upon  us  and  proffered  his  services.  He  had  been 
a  prisoner  of  war  at  the  Crimea,  and  had  been  sent  to 
England,  where  some  charitable  ladies  and  gentlemen  in- 
terested themselves  in  his  behalf,  taught  him  English, 
and  converted  him  to  the  Episcopal  faith.  He  then  re- 
turned to  Russia  as  a  missionary,  but  is  more  proficient 
in  his  natural  character  of  a  remorseless  rogue.  We 
foolishly  gave  him  our  tarantass  to  sell  for  us.  It  cost 
one  hundred  and  seventy  roubles,  and  we  could  readily 
have  sold  it ;  but  he  persuaded  us  to  leave  it  with  him  to 
dispose  of,  which  I  have  no  doubt  he  did,  though  we  have 
never  since  heard  of  him  or  it.  Mr.  Larsen,  of  the  other 
party,  overtook  us  at  Tomsk,  and  learning   into  whose 


HOMEWARD  BOUND.  403 

hands  we  had  fallen  warned  us  of  our  danger,  but  too 
late  ;  we  had  lost  our  tarantass. 

The  Governor  of  Tomsk  received  us  very  kindly,  ex- 
tending every  civility,  and  he  invited  us  to  visit  the  Uni- 
versity,  which  is  the  pride  of  the  place.  We  also  paid 
our  devoirs  to  the  mayor  of  the  city,  a  fat  and  jolly  old 
merchant,  who  treated  us  handsomely,  and  repeatedly 
expressed  his  regrets  that  we  were  to  leave  his  town  so 
soon.  In  the  afternoon  we  were  visited  by  a  couple  of 
gentlemen  who  spoke  English:  a  Mr.  Kuhn,  of  German 
extraction,  and  Mr.  De  Xorpe,  a  mining  engineer  and 
geologist  in  the  employ  of  the  state.  He  was  very  clever 
and  well-informed,  knowing  his  geology  by  heart,  and 
had  somewhere  met  Professor  Dana,  to  whom  he  sent 
many  kindly  messages. 

Paying  our  bills  at  the  "  Hotel  Million "  we  repaired 
for  supper  to  the  "  Hotel  Euiope,"  and  found  the  table 
garnished  in  true  Siberian  style  with  a  single  beefsteak 
—  simply  this  and  nothing  more.  Boarding  the  steamer 
then  about  midnight,  we  sought  our  bunks  amid  a 
frightful  din,  for  the  other  passengers  were  just  assault- 
ing their  evening  meal.  Next  morning,  the  27th  of  July, 
we  paddled  away  on  the  river  Obi.  The  steamer  was 
quite  roomy  for  this  region,  and  laden  witli  people  jour- 
neying to  the  annual  fair  at  Nijni  Novgorod.  Their 
habits,  especially  at  table,  were  very  disgusting,  which 
was  the  more  unfortunate,  inasmuch  as  the  cuisine  and 
service  were  capital,  meals  being  served  d  la  carte.  All 
the  Russian  passengers  were  plainly  out  on  a  protracted 
lark.  They  drank  and  played  cards  incessantly,  and 
there  was  quite  an  array  of  gamblers  on  board,  who 
fleeced  the  excursionists  without  mercy.  We  had  scarcely 
gotten  under  way  when  I,  too,  discovered  the  loss  of  fifty 
dollars  in  small  silver  money,  of  which  I  had  doubtless 
been  relieved  at  the  "  Hotel  Million." 

We  arrived  at  the  ancient  Cossack  town  of  Tobolsk  at 


404  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

midnight  of  July  31st.  It  is  one  of  the  oldest  fortified 
cities  in  the  empire,  and  way  back  in  the  history  of  the 
czars  was  taken  and  retaken  again  and  again  by  Cossack 
and  Tartar.  Long  ramps  and  avenues  lead  up  to  the 
antiquated  fortifications,  which,  pitched  upon  the  hill- 
tops, frown  down  upon  the  modern  settlement,  and  look 
for  all  the  world  like  old  Moorish  towers  and  forts.  The 
town  was  ablaze  with  light  when  we  drew  up  at  the 
landing,  and  venders  of  fruits  and  confections  thronged 
the  main  thoroughfare  leading  to  the  steamer.  We  en- 
joyed a  carriage  ride  by  moonlight,  which  enhanced  the 
singular  charms  of  the  quaint  old  place,  and  I  was  sorry 
to  leave  it  so  soon. 

Continuing  up  the  Obi  until  its  waters  shoaled  too 
rapidly  for  our  large  steamer,  we  were  transferred  to  a 
very  small  boat,  on  which  each  person  appeared  to  under- 
stand that  no  one  else  had  rights  that  he  was  bound  to 
respect ;  and,  although  first-class  cabin  passengers,  we 
were  hoisted  on  board  and  simply  directed  to  take  care 
of  ourselves  —  an  admonition  that  we  proceeded  to  obey, 
but  with  indifferent  success. 

We  arrived  at  Tuamen  before  midnight  of  August  2d, 
and  being  unable  to  secure  hotel  accommodations  drove 
directly  to  the  coach-station,  and  from  there  launched 
forth  on  a  journey  of  450  versts  to  Ekaterinborg,  the 
next  town.  Here  at  Tuamen  I  obtained  a  closer  view  of 
the  double-decked  barges,  great  numbers  of  which  we 
had  seen  being  towed  in  the  wake  of  steamers  by  means 
of  long  hawsers.  They  are  built  in  modern  shape,  with 
overhanging  guards  supported  by  struts  like  the  guards 
of  our  side-wheel  steamers,  and  are  from  two  hundred 
and  fifty  to  three  hundred  feet  long,  with  two  decks  and 
a  lower  hold ;  and  along  two  thirds  of  the  barge's  length 
there  is  an  iron  cage  reaching  from  the  lower  to  the 
upper  deck-cover,  and  having  the  appearance  of  a  great 
two  story  tiger's  cage.     A  passage-way  surrounds  it  on 


HOMEWARD  BOUND.  405 

the  lower  deck,  but  none  is  necessary  above.  In  these 
enormous  floating  jails  are  transported  the  thousands  of 
exiles  en  route  to  Siberia.  Each  deck,  I  should  suppose, 
is  capable  of  accommodating  from  two  hundred  and  fifty 
to  three  hundred  and  fifty  persons  ;  or  the  capacity  of 
each  barge  is  from  five  to  seven  hundred.  And  I  saw 
ten  such  in  use,  four  of  them  crowded  with  prisoners. 
We  met  three  exiles,  one  young  lady  and  two  young 
men,  who  had  been  released  and  were  homeward  bound 
from  far  Siberia.  One  of  them  spoke  English  fairly 
well,  but  was  rather  reticent. 

At  Tuamen  we  were  most  agreeably  entertained  by  an 
American  dentist,  Dr.  Ledyard,  of  San  Francisco,  and 
wife;  and  received  a  pleasant  call  from  a  Mr.  Waldraper, 
one  of  three  brothers  forming  a  steamboat  construc- 
tion company.  He  was  a  young  Scotchman  plying  his 
Clyde-gained  knowledge  on  the  Obi ;  sharp  us  a  Yankee, 
and  equally  full  of  aggressive  energy  and  ambition.  He 
talked  of  going  east  as  far  as  the  Yenisei,  and  had  many 
pertinent  questions  to  ask  concerning  the  navigation  of 
the  Lena. 

We  were  three  days,  of  twenty -four  hours  each,  in 
making  the  journey  from  Tuamen  to  Ekaterinborg, 
where  we  arrived  on  the  morning  of  August  5th,  and 
established  ourselves  at  the  "  Hotel  Europeanski,"  a  very 
creditable  inn  considering  the  country.  The  city  was 
founded  by  Catherine  of  Russia,  after  whom  it  is  named, 
and  some  portions  of  it,  notably  the  Public  Gardens,  are 
quite  attractive.  We  dined  with  Dr.  Ledyard,  and  then 
left  by  rail  for  Perm,  crossing  the  Ural  Mountains  into 
Europe  ;  for  here  is  the  beginning  or  rather  terminus  of 
railroading,  although  there  is  a  gap  of  several  hundred 
miles  in  the  line  between  Perm  and  Nijni  Novgorod, 
which  distance  is  covered  by  steamboat.  At  the  rail- 
road station,  the  first  thing  that  claimed  my  attention, 
outside  of  the  usual  bustle,  was   another  collection  of 


406  IN    THE  LENA   DELTA. 

double-decked  cages  for  the  transportation  of  exiles,  for 
it  is  j)art  0f  the  business  of  the  railroad  to  furnish  a 
sufficient  number  of  properly  constructed  cars  for  this 
purpose.  We  felt,  indeed,  at  sound  of  the  familiar  toot 
and  snort  of  the  iron  horse  that  we  were  at  last  crossing 
the  confines  of  civilization,  for  surely  no  one  like  the 
American  can  appreciate  the  wonderful  benefits  con- 
ferred upon  mankind  by  the  swift  "  smoke-wagon,"  that 
annihilator  of  distance  and  prime  agent  in  the  manifold 
glory  of  our  times. 

We  reached  Perm  August  9th  and  boarded  the  steamer 
without  delay.  It  was  larger,  and  far  more  comfortable 
in  every  respect,  than  any  we  had  as  yet  seen,  for,  true 
to  the  law  of  progress,  everything  was  materially  improv- 
ing as  we  journeyed  westward.  The  river-front  at  Perm 
was  filled  with  steamers,  and  the  double-decked  barges, 
no  longer  a  novelty  to  us,  were  transferring  their  captives 
to  the  double-decked  cars.  Poor  wretches !  they  looked 
so  like  wild  animals,  back  of  their  iron  bars. 

We  were  now  on  a  branch  of  the  mighty  river  Volga, 
and  in  a  few  days  would  reach  its  forks,  where  is  built 
Nijni  Novgorod,  the  "  New  City."  The  site  of  the  an- 
cient town,  whose  foundation  dates  back  into  the  thir- 
teenth century,  is  about  eight  miles  below.  There  plies 
on  the  Volga  a  fraudulently  -  called  American  line  of 
steamboats,  with  such  names  as  Washington,  Wisconsin, 
etc.,  for  even  here  America  has  the  well-deserved  repu- 
tation of  possessing  the  finest  steamboats  in  the  world  ; 
and  I  am  confident  that  if  a  number  of  our  river  boats, 
so  superior  to  all  others  in  speed  and  comfort,  were 
placed  upon  the  Volga,  they  would  at  once  absorb  all  of 
the  trade,  for  the  Russian  is  fond  of  good  things  and  in 
nowise  averse  to  paying  for  them. 

We  arrived  at  Nijni  Novgorod  about  twelve  o'clock 
in  the  night  of  August  12th,  and  went  to  the  Hotel 
Europe.     On  the  morrow  and  the  day  after  we  visited 


HOMEWARD  BOUND.  407 

the  wonderful  bazaar  which  has  made  this  place  so  fa- 
mous. 

Here  can  be  seen  the  representatives  of  all  peoples ; 
and  every  marketable  article  seemed  present  in  profu- 
sion. There  were  furs  from  the  vast  districts  of  North- 
eastern Siberia,  and  furs  from  Northwestern  America  ; 
rugs  from  Persia  ;  ostrich  feathers  from  Africa ;  tea  and 
carved  ivory  from  China ;  diamonds  from  Brazil ;  cut- 
lery from  England  and  Germany,  and  some  very  excel- 
lent samples  from  the  United  States.  The  bazaar  is 
held  on  a  point  of  land  between  the  forks  of  the  river, 
and  is  joined  to  the  city  by  a  well-built  pontoon-bridge. 
The  grounds  are  constantly  crowded,  and  a  perfect  babel 
of  tongues  prevails.  The  good-natured  merchant,  who 
talks  a  composite  language,  calls  loudly  to  the  passers- 
by,  exhibiting  his  goods,  and  if  he  fails  to  make  himself 
understood  he  shouts  out  "  roubles,"  and  states  his  price 
either  by  numerals  or  his  abacus.  That  is,  the  price 
he  asks;  what  his  selling  price  might  be,  Heaven  only 
knows,  for  I  am  sure  the  merchant  himself  does  not  ;  at 
any  rate  not  before  the  end  of  the  season,  when  articles 
are  often  sold  to  the  highest  bidders. 

Among  the  attractions  at  Nijni  was  the  American 
lion-tamer,  Colonel  Boone,  with  his  cages  full  of  wild 
beasts,  and  it  was  evident  that  the  admiring  natives  re- 
garded the  colonel  himself  as  the  greatest  lion  in  his 
collection.  We  visited  and  dined  with  a  Mr.  Dunbar, 
formerly  of  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  who  had  come  to  Nijni  and 
built  a  very  creditable  stern-wheel  steamboat,  modeled 
upon  those  in  use  on  the  Ohio  and  Monongahela  rivers. 
She  was  apparently  a  favorite  with  the  people,  but  lacked 
speed,  as  essential  a  quality  in  the  eye  of  the  Russian 
as  in  that  of  the  restless  American.  I  have  never 
learned  the  result  of  Mr.  Dunbar's  venture,  but  I  am 
persuaded  that  for  the  navigation  of  the  large  Siberian 
rivers  there  is  needed  a  suitable  number  of  light-draught 


408  IN   THE  LENA   DELTA. 

stern-wheel  boats.  In  summer  the  water  is  low,  the 
river-beds  being  so  wide  that  the  water  of  necessity 
must  be  shallow,  albeit  the  channels  are  not  so  capacious 
that  they  can  control  the  fury  of  the  spring  floods. 

It  was  a  very  pleasing  and  instructive  time  I  spent  at 
Nijni  Novgorod  and  the  bazaar.  Often  in  boyhood  had 
I  gazed  at  my  school  atlas,  struggling  to  pronounce  it 
and  the  other  impossible  names,  and  wondered  in  my 
dreams  if  I  would  ever  see  Nijni  or  Moscow.  I  had 
now  seen  the  one  and  in  twelve  hours  would  see  the 
other. 

Nijni  Novgorod  is  the  eastern  terminus  of  this  rail- 
road line  through  the  empire  of  Russia,  and  when  the 
short  section  between  it  and  Perm  is  built  there  will  be 
an  all-rail  communication  from  Ekaterinborg,  just  within 
the  boundary  of  Siberia,  to  the  rest  of  the  continental 
railroads  centring  in  St.  Petersburg,  Berlin,  Paris,  Vi- 
enna, and  Rome  ;  and  what  a  vast  combination  there  will 
be  upon  the  completion  of  the  proposed  English  roads  to 
farther  India  and  Afghanistan  ! 

We  entered  Moscow  on  the  15th  of  August,  and  were 
met  at  the  depot  by  the  American  consul,  who  gave  us 
a  hearty  reception  and  conducted  us  in  carriages  to  the 
Hotel  Dessaux.  Many  persons  of  note  called  upon  us, 
and  our  indefatigable  consul  kindly  drove  us  to  different 
points  of  interest  in  the  city. 

The  following  day  we  "  did  "  the  Kremlin,  the  great 
bells,  and,  by  special  permission,  the  new  cathedral,  whose 
interior  decoration  is  superb.  Among  other  curiosities 
I  saw  in  Moscow  was  a  jet  black  female  native  of  De- 
merara,  driving  around  in  a  gorgeous  open  barouche, 
with  all  the  airs  of  an  old-time  Russian  princess. 

On  the  evening  of  the  17th,  we  left  Moscow  for  St. 
Petersburg,  and  were  greeted  at  the  railroad  station  by 
Colonel  Wickham  Hoffman,  United  States  chargS  d' af- 
fair es,  and  quite  a  delegation  of  Americans.     Driving  to 


HOMEWARD  BOUND.  409 

the  Hotel  Europe  we  rested  for  a  while,  and  then  called 
upon  Minister  Hunt,  at  the  quarters  of  the  United  States 
Legation.  He  had  received  his  appointment  but  a  short 
time  before,  having  previously  occupied  the  office  of  Sec- 
retary of  the  Navy.  Now  he  had  prepared  for  us  a  cap- 
ital cold  collation,  and  all  the  distinguished  American 
residents  of  St.  Petersburg  were  present,  and  truly  a 
heartier  welcome  was  never  accorded  a  band  of  ship- 
wrecked mariners.  The  old  and  young,  rich  and  poor,  of 
our  countrymen  flocked  around,  and  generously,  warmly 
congratulated  us  on  what  they  seemed  to  feel  was  a  res- 
urrection from  worse  than  death. 

Driving  along  the  Neva  we  saw  the  bridges  which 
span  that  majestic  stream,  and  the  fortress  of  Peter  and 
Paul  (Petropavlosk),  the  cold  citadel  which  has  wit- 
nessed a  world  of  misery  and  crime.  From  the  river  we 
were  afforded  a  splendid  view  of  the  city ;  and  at  night 
we  visited  the  great  summer  garden  and  saw  the  popu- 
lace. The  grounds  are  magnificent,  and  at  certain  sea- 
sons of  the  year  are  thrown  open  by  royal  command 
for  the  enjoyment  of  the  people.  Here,  as  in  Moscow, 
the  military  largely  predominated ;  uniforms  were  every- 
where, and  a  military  band  played  martial  music,  and 
the  grand  march  in  honor  of  Skobeleff,  the  dead  and 
favorite  Russian  general,  which  was  encored  again  and 
again. 

The  morrow  we  devoted  to  sight-seeing  at  the  Her- 
mitage, gazing  upon  the  relics  of  Peter  the  Great,  so 
often  described  by  tourists  ;  his  staff,  tools,  arm-chair, 
and  the  rod  that  measured  his  height ;  and  here,  too,  are 
the  celebrated  marbles,  jewels,  and  beautiful  art-galleries. 
But  I  most  admired  the  colossal  nudes  in  black  marble 
which  support  the  portico  over  the  entrance  to  the  Her- 
mitage. They  are  very  striking  in  their  massive  propor- 
tions, and  look  like  so  many  living  giants  bearing  stur- 
dily up  with  straightened  limbs  under  the  heavy  stone 


410  IN  THE  LENA   DELTA. 

entablature  which  rests  upon  their  black  and  brawny 
shoulders.  A  trip  to  the  Cathedral  of  St.  Isaac's,  the 
grandeur  of  whose  interior  surpassed  my  expectations, 
and  we  then  repaired  to  the  palace  of  the  Emperor 
Paul,  wherein  the  late  Czar  Alexander  II.  ate  his  last 
breakfast ;  and  finally  we  visited  the  spot  where  he  was 
killed,  and  the  temporary  shrine  erected  over  it,  which, 
we  were  told,  was  shortly  to  be  replaced  by  a  chapel. 
That  evening  (August  20th)  Minister  Hunt  and  lady 
entertained  us  at  dinner. 

During  the  day  we  had  been  waited  upon  by  an  aid, 
a  colonel  of  engineers,  who  delivered  invitations  to  my- 
self and  two  seamen  of  the  Jeannette  and  Lieutenant 
Berry  of  the  Rodgers  to  be  presented  to  their  majesties 
the  Czar  and  Czarina,  at  Peterhof,  an  imperial  summer 
residence  about  sixteen  miles  out  of  the  city.  An  usher 
in  civilian  clothes  next  made  his  appearance,  and  directed 
us  how  to  proceed.  Our  dress,  if  not  uniform,  should  be 
full  evening  dress,  with  white  ties  ;  the  carriages  at  St. 
Petersburg  were  to  be  of  our  own  providing  ;  but  a  spe- 
cial car  on  the  train  leaving  at  eleven  A.  M.  would  be 
placed  at  our  disposal,  and  the  royal  carriages  would 
await  us  at  Peterhof. 

Promptly  at  the  appointed  time  we  were  at  the  depot, 
where  our  usher  met  and  conducted  us  to  the  proper  rail- 
way coach.  Minister  Hunt  was  to  be  presented  at  court 
the  same  day,  but  he  was  under  a  different  escort.  We 
were  soon  whirled  to  Peterhof,  and  alighted  from  the 
train  in  company  with  a  numerous  party  of  officers,  di- 
plomats, and  court  officials,  all  under  separate  and  appro- 
priate guards.  Here  we  were  shown  into  an  open  ba- 
rouche bearing  the  imperial  arms,  and  attended  by  coach- 
men in  gold -laced  liveries,  with  cocked  hats,  cutaway 
coats,  and  buff  waistcoats,  and  were  driven  to  the  royal 
gardens  and  dormitories,  where  there  was  a  series  of  with- 
drawing rooms  with  small  breakfast  rooms  attached.   We 


HOMEWARD  BOUND.  411 

were  first  seated  in  one  of  these,  and  presently  an  officer 
in  uniform  followed  by  an  amanuensis  entered,  and  po- 
litely saluting  us  in  English  opened  a  running  conversa- 
tion, which  continued  for  a  few  minutes,  when  the  aman- 
uensis wrote  upon  large  and  separate  sheets  of  paper  the 
name,  rank,  and  nativity  of  each  of  our  party.  Both  then 
withdrew. 

The  next .  formality  was  decidedly  less  irksome.  We 
were  conducted  into  the  breakfast  room  and  regaled  with 
a  light  repast,  which  included  tea,  coffee,  and  wine  ;  cog- 
nac, pousse-cafe,  and  liqueurs  ;  cigarettes  and  cigars.  In 
a  little  while  another  officer,  in  uniform  and  under  arms, 
greeted  us  and  requested  that  we  follow  him.  Entering 
a  carriage  we  were  driven  to  the  audience  chamber  and 
ushered  into  a  large  ante-room  hung  with  portraits  of  the 
royal  family,  battle  scenes,  etc.  Here  there  was  a  bril- 
liant gathering  of  officers  and  functionaries  of  high  rank, 
generals,  admirals,  ministers,  and  diplomats,  all  in  gor- 
geous uniform,  and  glittering  with  stars  and  decorations, 
humbly  awaiting  their  turn  for  a  brief  chance  at  the  im- 
perial ear.  Our  conductor  proclaimed  to  the  assemblage 
who  we  were,  and  for  a  moment  every  eye  was  curiously 
riveted  upon  us,  and  some  of  the  Russian  officials  came 
forwai'd  and  spoke  to  us.  At  the  same  time  our  names 
were  announced  to  the  Czar.  Minister  Hunt  had  pre- 
ceded us,  and  our  attendant  now  said  that  we  would  be 
next  received  by  the  Czar  in  the  reception  room,  after 
which  we  would  be  presented  to  the  Czarina  in  an  ante- 
room. 

As  soon,  then,  as  Minister  Hunt  had  departed  we  were 
conducted  to  a  door  opening  into  a  passage-way  which 
led  directly  to  the  audience  chamber.  This  door  was 
thrown  open  by  an  usher,  who  called  out  our  names  and 
vanished.  We  advanced  a  few  paces  two  abreast,  and 
as  we  did  so,  Czar  Alexander  III.,  Emperor  of  all  the 
Russias,  crossed  the  room  with  outstretched  hands  and 
greeted  us,  saying  in  English,  — 


412  IN  THE  LENA  DELTA. 

"  Good  morning,  gentlemen.  These  are  Messrs.  Mel- 
ville and  Berry  ;  which  is  Mr.  Melville?  " 

I  set  him  aright  by  introducing  the  others,  and  Lieu- 
tenant Berry  performed  the  same  service  for  me. 

"  Pre'fe'rez  vous  parler  en  Francais  ou  en  Anglais,  mon- 
sieur ?  "  the  Czar  inquired. 

I  assured  him  that  English  being  my  native  tongue 
I  preferred  to  speak  it.  At  this  juncture  the  Czarina 
approached  and  graciously  greeted  us,  appearing  quite 
solicitous  about  our  health,  and  asking  many  questions 
in  regard  to  our  sufferings.  She  carefully  and  with  a 
kindly  show  of  interest  examined  my  hands  and  fingers, 
which  still  bore  the  marks  of  their  old  sores. 

We  then  began  a  cross-fire  of  conversation,  each  of  the 
royal  pair  conversing  at  times  with  one  or  another  of  our 
party.  Finally  the  Czar  expressed  his  regret  that  any  of 
us  should  have  come  to  grief  on  his  territory,  however 
remote  ;  and  "  I  trust,"  said  he,  "  that  it  was  the  rigor  of 
our  climate  alone,  and  not  the  coldness  of  heart  of  any 
of  my  people,  which  caused  the  death  of  your  comrades." 

The  Czarina  commended  our  fortitude  and  courage, 
which,  she  said,  were  peculiarities  of  the  American  char- 
acter ;  "  But  I  hope,"  she  remarked,  "  that  you  will  not 
again  tempt  fortune  in -the  frozen  North." 

Speaking  of  our  own  land  she  observed,  with  a  gentle 
sorrow  in  her  tone,  "  I  had  hoped  in  my  youth  to  visit 
America,  but  now,  I  fear,  it  can  never  be." 

There  coming  a  lull  at  length  in  our  talk,  we  shook 
hands  a  second  time,  and  with  mutual  farewells  and  my 
honest  wish  that  the  imperial  couple  might  be  blessed 
with  "  future  peace  and  happiness,"  our  audience  was 
ended.     It  had  lasted  twenty  minutes. 

We  passed  out  without  the  usher's  aid  into  the  ante- 
room, where  the  crowd  of  visitors  was  fast  swelling.  Our 
official  conductor  escorted  us  in  a  carriage  back  to  the 
breakfast  room,  where  he  delivered  us  over  to  the  tender 


HOMEWARD  BOUND.  413 

mercies  of  the  civilian  usher;  tender,  since  there  was  here 
spread  out  for  our  edification  a  delicious  breakfast,  whose 
tempting  viands  we  had  not  the  least  inclination  to  slight. 
We  were  then  driven  for  several  hours  through  the  grand 
gardens  full  of  lakes  and  artificial  cascades  pouring,  one 
over  a  silver,  and  another  over  a  gold-plated  wall  of 
rock,  and  called  the  "  Silver  Falls,"  and  "  Golden  Falls." 
There  were  fountains  casting  spray  in  every  part  of  the 
grounds  ;  curiously  and  beautifully  trained  plants  ;  fish 
in  ponds,  which  came  at  the  sound  of  a  bell  to  be  fed ; 
geese,  swans,  and  other  water-fowl  — all  forming  the  most 
magnificent  artificial  park  I  have  ever  seen. 

We  returned  to  St.  Petersburg  by  boat,  obtaining  a 
fine  view  of  the  great  work,  then  in  progress,  of  making 
a  harbor  at  Cronstadt,  whose  shipping  was  barely  visible 
in  the  distance.  Reaching  the  city  towards  dusk,  we  ar- 
ranged at  once  to  leave  for  Liverpool  via  Berlin  and 
Paris.  At  each  of  these  points  we  rested  for  a  few  days, 
receiving  kindly  tokens  of  interest  on  every  hand ;  and 
finally  setting  sail  from  Liverpool  on  the  steamer  Parthia 
we  arrived  at  New  York  on  the  13th  of  September,  1882, 
—  three  years  and  six  months  from  the  time  I  left  the 
Atlantic  sea-board  to  join  at  San  Francisco  the  luckless 
Jeannette  ;  and  one  year  from  the  day  when  our  three 
boats  were  separated  in  that  fatal  gale. 


THE  GREELY  RELIEF  EXPEDITION. 


CHAPTER  I. 

NORTHWARD  ONCE  MORE. 

Failure  of  the  Neptune,  Proteus,  and  Yantic  to  Relieve  Greely.— 
My  Proposal.  —  The  Plan  and  Fitting  Out  of  the  Expedition.  — 
St.  John's.  —  Disco  Island. 

[The  celerity  with  which  the  Greely  Relief  Expedition  ac- 
complished its  noble  mission  surprised  the  world.  As  I  have 
elsewhere  stated,  when  Chief  Engineer  Melville  set  sail  from 
New  York  on  the  Thetis,  he  was  still  engaged  on  the  final 
chapters  of  this  work,  which  we  imagined  would  be  in  print 
some  time  before  that  cruise  was  ended.  However,  he  has  re- 
turned in  time  to  annex  the  following  account  of  his  last  Arctic 
voyage,  which,  it  is  thought,  forms  an  appropriate  epilogue  to 
the  tragic  tale  of  the  Jeannette.  —  Ed.] 

I  only  propose  for  myself  a  brief  outline  of  the  object 
and  results  of  the  Lady  Franklin  Bay  Expedition,  for 
the  simple  reason  that  the  brave  commander  himself, 
Lieutenant  A.  W.  Greely,  U.  S.  A.,  who  still  survives 
in  full  vigor  of  mind  and  body,  will  be  the  best  historian 
of  his  own  and  the  adventures  of  his  heroic  followers. 

And  I  here  desire  to  say  parenthetically  that  there  is 
no  one  living  competent  to  criticise  Lieutenant  Greely's 
conduct  of  the  Expedition,  beyond  affirming  that  he  per- 
formed the  greatest  amount  of  scientific  work  possible  at 
the  least  expense,  and  made  good  his  retreat  from  depot 


pi * 


p< 


NORTHWARD   ONCE  MORE.  415 

to  depot,  until  lie  arrived  at  the  point  of  safety  where 
our  government  had  promised  to  deposit  supplies  and 
have  a  vessel  awaiting  to  carry  him  and  his  band  away 
from  the  "  Land  of  Desolation."  How  bountifully  the 
government  furnished  the  means  for  the  execution  of  its 
promise,  and  contrariwise,  how  strangely,  if  not  crimi- 
nally, the  government's  efforts  were  thwarted  by  careless- 
ness, incompetency,  or  inexperience,  the  reader  knows 
too  well  to  warrant  further  comment  here. 

In  August  of  1881,  Lieutenant  Greely's  command  was 
conveyed  to  Lady  Franklin  Bay  by  the  steam-whaler 
Proteus,  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  one  of  the  two 1 
metereological  stations  to  be  fitted  out  and  maintained 
by  the  United  States  Government,  under  the  charge  of 
the  Signal  Service,  in  accordance  with  the  agreement 
of  the  international  meteorological  congress.  America, 
with  commendable  zeal,  dispatched  her  observers  to  the 
most  northern  point  attainable  with  safety  and  readily 
accessible  to  support  and  relief.  I  assert  this  deliber- 
ately, notwithstanding  the  sad  fate  that  overtook  a  por- 
tion of  Greely's  party  ;  for  he  executed  his  duty  with  all 
honor,  and  can  in  no  way  be  held  responsible  for  the 
terrible  disaster  that  resulted  exclusively  from  the  mis- 
carriage of  the  promised  relief. 

The  unsuccessful  attempt  of  the  Neptune  to  reach 
Fort  Conger  or  Lady  Franklin  Bay  in  1882,  and  the  re- 
turn of  that  vessel  to  the  United  States  with  all  her  sup- 
plies on  board,  which  should  have  been  cached  as  near 
Fort  Conger  as  possible, — particularly  at  Norman  Lock- 
yer  Island,  the  highest  point  attained  by  the  Neptune, 
at  Cape  Albert,  Cape  Sabine,  the  death  camp  of  Greely's 
command,  or  at  Littleton  Island,  where  Greely  requested 

1  The  other  American  station,  under  command  of  Lieutenant 
Ray,  U.  S.  A.,  was  established  at  Point  Barrow,  north  of  Behring 
Strait,  and  the  European  powers  were  to  station  their  observers  at 
optional  points  within  the  Arctic  Circle. 


416  THE   GREELY  RELIEF  EXPEDITION. 

the  depot  of  supplies  to  be  made,  —  was  followed  in  1883 
by  the  double  failure  of  the  Proteus  and  the  U.  S. 
steamer  Yantic  to  leave  provisions  at  Cape  Sabine  and 
Littleton  Island.  In  other  words,  these  three  vessels 
succeeded  in  transporting  to  and  beyond  the  point  of 
disaster  sufficient  supplies  of  food  to  last  the  Greely 
partj^  two  years  or  more  —  and  yet,  singular  to  say,  either 
sunk  this  food  in  the  sea,  or  brought  it  back  to  the 
United  States. 

But  here  it  may  be  asked,  —  Of  what  avail  would  pro- 
visions deposited  at  Littleton  Island  have  been  to  Greely 
encamped  across  the  Sound,  at  Cape  Sabine?  I  can  con- 
fidently reply,  —  It  would  have  been  the  salvation  of  the 
whole  band.  Not  a  single  man  need  have  starved  to 
death  ;  for  if  Greely  had  known  that  an  abundance  of 
food  awaited  him  at  Littleton  Island,  he  would  certainly 
have  made  greater  efforts  to  cross  the  channel,  and  in  all 
probability  would  have  met  with  success,  even  in  the  one 
boat  which  remained  to  him.  Or  ten  men  of  his  party 
might  thus  have  escaped,  and  the  other  fifteen  at  Cape 
Sabine  could  then  have  subsisted  on  that  amount  of  food 
which  proved  so  sadly  insufficient  for  twenty-five.  As 
it  was,  however,  he  might  just  as  well  have  starved  at 
Cape  Sabine  as  at  Littleton  Island,  where  there  was  a 
cache  of  only  240  rations  —  nine  days'  supply  for  twenty- 
five  men  !  Still  there  are  reasons  why  his  chances  would 
have  been  much  better  at  Littleton  Island ;  chiefly  be- 
cause there  is  game  the  year  round  all  along  the  coast 
from  Cape  York,  scarce,  it  is  true,  in  winter  time,  but 
quite  plentiful  in  early  spring.  Moreover,  natives  are 
well  known  to  be  settled  at  Life-Boat  Cove,  Littleton 
Island  (not  permanently),  Port  Foulke,  Cape  Parry, 
Saunders  Island,  North  Star  Bay,  and  Cape  York,  and 
from  them  Greely  and  his  party  would  surely  have  re- 
ceived aid,  and  with  their  superior  weapons  could  have 
returned  valuable  assistance  in  hunting.     Had  supplies 


NORTHWARD   ONCE  MORE.  417 

been  left  at  Littleton  Island  by  any  of  the  ships  men- 
tioned, Lieutenant  Garlington  and  his  men  could  have 
remained  there  after  the  loss  of  the  Proteus,  and,  as 
Greely  directed,  have  "kept  their  glasses  bearing  on 
Cape  Sabine  for  his  retreating  column."  Cape  Sabine 
and  Littleton  Island  were  unquestionably  the  key  to  the 
situation,  and  had  either  been  properly  provisioned  there 
is  no  reason  why  any  member  of  Greely 's  party  should 
have  perished. 

The  futile  attempt  of  the  Proteus  to  reach  Lady  Frank- 
lin Bay,  her  destruction,  and  the  return  of  Lieutenant 
Garlington,  were  generally  regarded  as  a  death-blow  to 
all  hope  of  forwarding  succor  to  Greely,  and  the  news 
flashing  across  the  continent  appalled  many  who  fore- 
saw the  terrible  position  in  which  the  isolated  little  band 
would  then  be  placed.  It  was  too  late  in  the  season 
(September  12th)  to  fit  out  a  new  relief  ship,  yet  one 
resource  remained  at  that  time,  namely,  to  send  a  vessel 
at  once  from  St.  John's,  N.  F.,  to  Cape  Athol  or  Cape 
York,  which,  after  landing  a  rescue  party  with  supplies, 
tents,  boats,  and  sledges,  could  return  immediately  be- 
fore the  ice  began  to  make  too  rapidly.  This  plan  I 
embodied  in  a  telegram  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 
September  14th  ;  following  it  up  later  on  with  a  letter, 
wherein  I  said,  — 

"  Greely,  without  doubt,  is  now  at  Littleton  Island,  where 
he  expected  to  find  stores  and  other  means  of  relief'.  The 
Yantic  is  at  St.  John's,  N.  F.  Telegraph  orders  to  Captain 
Wilde  to  put  his  guns  and  extra  weights  on  shore;  reduce  his 
officers  and  crew  to  a  minimum  for  safety  in  working  the  ship  ; 
fill  the  ship  with  coal  and  stores,  all  she  can  carry ;  buy  twelve 
first-class  whale-boats  with  outfits  ;  put  material  on  board  ship 
for  the  manufacture  of  boat-sleds,  and  material  for  clothing, 
tents,  and  sleeping-bags.  All  these  can  be  made  up  on  the  way 
to  Cape  York.  If  the  ship  can  be  got  to  the  northward  of 
Cape  York,  there  will  be  no  difficulty  in  communicating  with 
27 


418  THE   GREELY  RELIEF  EXPEDITION. 

Greelv  this  winter.  Arrived  at  Cape  York,  or  any  point  to 
the  northward,  land  the  stores  and  boats  with  a  small  party 
to  guard  them  in  addition  to  the  party  that  is  to  advance  to 
Greely's  relief.  If  the  ship  can  go  beyond  Cape  York  or  Cape 
Athol.  there  are  plenty  of  harbors  to  winter  in.  If  not,  work 
her  well  in  shore  and  take  the  chances  of  wintering  in  the  shore- 
ice,  as  far  from  the  running  pack  as  possible.  ...  If  the  ship 
stands  the  ice  during  the  winter,  and  the  ice  moves  out  in  the 
spring  time  and  carries  her  to  sea,  the  chances  are  yet  good  to 
drift  out  into  the  southerly  pack.  Should  the  ship  be  crushed, 
the  whale-boats  are  at  the  command  of  her  people  to  make 
good  their  retreat. 

"  If  landed  at  Cape  York  I  will  undertake  to  lead  a  party  to 
Littleton  Island  to  communicate  with  Greelv.  and  if  his  men  are 
able  to  travel,  conduct  them  to  the  new  base  of  supplies  at  Cape 
York,  and  encourage  them  to  hold  on.  This  is  the  point  to 
which  Buddington  and  party  retreated  after  the  loss  of  the 
Polaris,  knowing  they  would  sight  the  whale-ships  about  June 
1st.  After  this  date  there  is  no  difficulty  or  hardship  in  making 
the  way  to  the  Danish  settlements.  It  is  duriug  the  fall  and 
winter  time  that  the  great  risk  is  run,  and  now  is  the  time  that 
Greely  needs  succor  and  encouragement." 

To  this  I  received  the  following  response  by  wire :  — 
••  Washington,  D.  C,  Sept.  19,  1883. 
..."  Careful  consideration  is  being  given  to  your  letter  of 
the  seventeenth. 

••  TV.  E.  Chandler, 

-  Se&y  of  the  Navy." 

But  alas !  a  board  to  whom  the  matter  was  referred 
adjudged  my  scheme  an  impracticable  one  for  several 
reasons,  mainly  the  lateness  of  the  season,  albeit  whale- 
men have  been  known  to  cruise  as  far  north  as  Cape 
York  so  late  as  October  20th.  Thus  my  project  for 
relief  was  not  accepted,  though  the  effort  could  certainly 
have  been  made  without  difficulty  or  danger,  it  being 
simply  a  question  of  seamanship.  The  ice  was  then 
scattered  or  entirely  driven   out  of   the  bay    and  what 


NORTHWARD   ONCE  MORE.  419 

little  remains  at  that  season  of  the  year  hugs  the  western 
shore  from  Lancaster  Strait  to  Cape  Chudleigh,  and 
along  the  coast  of  Labrador.  The  autumn  gales  are  ter- 
rific, it  is  true,  and  continuous,  as  I  learned  to  my  cost 
in  the  fall  that  I  cruised  with  Captain  James  Greer  in 
the  Tigress,  on  the  Polaris  search.  Then,  however,  the 
weather  was  not  so  severe  or  the  season  so  far  advanced 
as  when  the  endeavor  was  made  from  Norway  to  rescue 
the  Norwegian  fishermen  who  had  been  cast  on  the  west 
coast  of  Spitzbergen ;  and  in  this  instance,  although  the 
attempt  was  not  crowned  with  success  because  of  ice  and 
storm,  yet  the  effort  was  not  relinquished  until  Decem- 
ber, and  the  relieving  party  did  not  return  to  Norway 
until  January.1 

I  can  now  only  express  regret  that  my  proposition  was 
rejected,  and  I  desire  to  further  say  that  all  I  learned 
during  the  cruise  of  the  Thetis  simply  confirmed  my 
faith  in  the  entire  practicability  of  my  plan  of  relief, — 
and  then  even  though  I  had  failed  to  reach  the  starving 
band,  would  not  humanity  have  had  the  satisfaction,  at 
least,  of  knowing  that  everything  possible  had  been  done, 
and  defeat  and  disaster  had  only  come  when  rescue  was 
impossible  ? 

During  the  winter  of  1883-8-1  the  country  was  aroused 
to  the  necessity  of  dispatching  at  the  earliest  possible 
moment  a  safe  fleet  of  vessels  to  accomplish  what  the 
Neptune,  Proteus,  and  Yantic  had  failed  to  do  in  1882- 
83.  Congress  meanwhile  quarreled  over  the  appropria- 
tion and  the  manning  of  the  ships,  until  the  season  was 
so  far  advanced  that  it  would  have  been  next  to  impos- 
sible to  equip  them  in  time  to  save  the  few  survivors  at 

1  The  poor  fishermen  perished  miserably.  They  were  established 
in  a  comfortable  house  well  stocked  with  provisions,  which  prin- 
cipally consisted,  however,  of  salt  fish;  so  scurvy  set  in  and  they  all 
died.  The  attempt  at  rescue  was  none  the  less  heroic,  and  reflects 
the  highest  honor  on  the  hardy  Norsemen. 


420  THE   GREELY  RELIEF  EXPEDITION. 

Camp  Clay,  who,  it  afterwards  appeared,  were  slowly- 
starving  to  death  while  Congress  waxed  warm  with 
debate.  But  Secretary  Chandler,  with  characteristic 
energy,  realizing  the  necessity  of  immediate  action,  as- 
sumed the  responsibility  of  purchasing  for  the  govern- 
ment the  ships  Bear  and  Thetis,  two  of  the  best  in  the 
Scotch  Arctic  whaling  fleet.  These  vessels  he  then  had 
fitted  for  sea,  with  every  appliance  calculated  to  insure 
their  safety  and  promote  the  comfort  of  the  crews.  Pro- 
visions and  clothing  were  of  the  most  approved  quality 
and  design,  and  the  bureaux  of  the  Navy  Department 
vied  with  each  other  in  their  efforts  to  make  the  expedi- 
tion a  complete  success.  How  admirably  the  plans  of 
Secretary  Chandler  have  been  executed,  and  how  well 
the  confidence  reposed  by  him  and  the  country  in  the 
commanding  officer  and  the  personnel  of  the  fleet  has 
been  justified,  it  is  needless  for  me  to  indicate. 

English  courtesy,  and  the  chivalry  peculiar  to  that  great 
nation,  which  has  ever  cherished  the  spirit  of  adventure, 
applauding  and  rewarding  acts  of  heroism,  and  stretch- 
ing forth  her  strong  hand  to  rescue  those  who  risk  their 
lives  in  quest  of  fame  or  in  the  interest  of  science, — a 
national  policy  that  has  done  much  to  develop  the  won- 
derful strength  of  her  army  and  navy,  —  exhibited  itself 
on  this  occasion  in  a  very  graceful  act.  The  Queen  ten- 
dered, as  a  gift  to  our  government  for  service  in  -the 
search,  the  Alert,  formerly  the  flag-ship  of  Captain  George 
Nares,  R.  N.,  in  the  English  Polar  Expedition  of  1874. 
This  is  the  strongest  wooden  ship  afloat.  She  did  excel- 
lent service  throughout  the  voyage  mentioned,  resisting 
tremendous  strains  and  nips,  and  at  one  time  was  cast 
bodily  out  on  the  surface  of  the  ice  without  suffering 
material  damage.  The  British  Government  put  her  in 
perfect  repair  at  their  dock-yard,  so  that  upon  her  arrival 
in  New  York  only  a  few  trivial  changes  were  required, 
when  she  was  stored  with  provisions  for  her  own  and  the 


NORTHWARD   ONCE  MORE.  421 

crews  of  the  two  advance  ships,  the  Thetis  and  Bear. 
Meanwhile  the  iron  transport  steamer,  Loch  Garry,  of 
Dundee,  Scotland,  had  been  chartered  to  carry  1,000  tons 
of  the  best  Welsh  coal  as  far  as  Littleton  Island,  our 
government  becoming  responsible  for  her  damage,  or  loss. 

The  general  plan  of  the  expedition  was  for  the  Thetis 
and  Bear  to  proceed  as  rapidly  as  possible  toward  Little- 
ton Island,  where  it  was  expected  a  record  of  the  Greely 
party,  if  not  the  party  itself,  would  be  found.  Indeed, 
it  was  the  opinion  of  a  majority  of  the  officers  of  the 
fleet  that  we  should  come  upon  the  party  somewhere 
between  Cape  York  and  Littleton  Island,  and  there,  we 
subsequently  learned,  they  certainly  would  have  been 
had  they  been  able  to  cross  Smith  Sound.  The  Alert 
and  Loch  Garry  were  to  follow  in  our  wake  with  all 
speed  consistent  with  safety,  and  land  a  house,  coal,  and 
stores  at  Littleton  Island ;  the  Loch  Garry  to  depart  as 
soon  as  she  had  deposited  her  cargo  of  coal,  and  the  Alert 
to  tarry  as  late  in  September  as  the  state  of  the  ice 
would  permit. 

Aware  of  the  house  and  depot  of  supplies  at  Littleton 
Island,  the  Thetis  and  Bear  could  push  on  boldly  to- 
gether, if  necessary,  as  far  as  Lady  Franklin  Bay,  or 
until  their  progress  was  checked  by  an  impenetrable  bar- 
rier of  ice,  when  the  advance  was  to  be  made  by  sledge 
and  boat  to  Fort  Conger,  or  until  definite  information  of 
Greely's  command  was  obtained  ;  this  advance  party  to 
be  supported  from  the  rear  by  the  combined  strength  of 
the  crews  of  the  Thetis  and  Bear.  The  board  convened 
by  the  War  and  Navy  Departments  to  adopt  ways  and 
means  of  relief  recommended  the  above  general  plan, 
and,  to  my  thinking,  it  was  a  perfect  one.  The  details, 
of  course,  were  left  to  the  discretion  of  the  commander- 
in-chief,  Commander  W.  S.  Schley,  U.  S.  N.,  whose  effi- 
cient performance  of  his  duty  needs  no  praise  from  the 
pen  of  one  of  his  subordinates.     On  one  thing  alone  the 


422  THE   GREELY  RELIEF  EXPEDITION. 

Secretary  of  the  Navy  insisted,  as  advised  hj  the  board, 
namely,  that  the  fleet  should  sail  from  New  York  not 
later  than  the  1st  of  May,  1884 ;  and  had  we  departed 
sixty,  aye,  ninety  days  before,  we  could  not  have  reached 
Cape  York,  the  turning-point  of  the  North  Water,  one 
hour  sooner.  As  it  was,  the  Bear  was  dispatched  on  April 
20th  to  enable  her  to  be  in  Baffin's  Bay  as  early  as  any 
of  the  whale-ships.  She  came  up  with  the  foremost  of 
the  whalers  at  Disco,  and  thence  advanced  as  far  as  the 
Browne  Islands,  when,  observing  the  ice  that  made  across 
Melville  Bay  as  solidly  as  the  unbroken  continent  of 
America,  she  returned  in  company  with  several  of  the 
whale-ships  to  Upernavik.  The  Thetis  left  New  York 
and  proceeded  to  sea  on  the  day  and  hour  appointed, 
May  1st,  at  3.30  P.  M. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  her  officers  :  Commander 
W.  S.  Schley,  Commanding ;  Lieutenant  Uriel  Sebree, 
Executive  Officer  and  Navigator ;  Lieutenants  Emory 
Taunt  and  S.  C.  Lemly ;  Ensigns  C.  H.  Harlow  and 
W.  J.  Chambers  (the  latter  for  duty  on  board  the  Loch 
Garry,  as  government  custodian)  ;  Chief  Engineer  G. 
W.  Melville  ;  Surgeon  E.  H.  Green  ;  and  James  W.  Nor- 
man, ice-pilot.  The  crew,  including  the  steward  (Char- 
ley Tong  Sing,  of  the  Jeannette),  cook,  and  engineer's 
force,  numbered  twenty-six  men,  one  of  whom,  becoming 
exhausted,  was  discharged  at  St.  John's,  and  another  man 
shipped  in  his  place. 

Our  passage  from  New  York  to  St.  John's  was  without 
noteworthy  incident.  A  minor  break  in  the  moving  part 
of  the  engine  caused  a  delay  of  several  hours  ;  but,  with 
a  fair  wind,  the  sails  were  set,  and  soon  under  steam  and 
canvas  we  pushed  evenly  along,  making  an  average  and 
pleasant  passage.  The  better  we  became  acquainted  with 
our  ship  the  more  we  liked  her  staunchness  and  sea-going 
qualities  ;  and  although  our  impatience  to  advance  led 
us  at  first  to  wish  for  a  greater  display  of  speed,  yet  we 


NORTHWARD   ONCE  MORE.  423 

were  afterwards  satisfied  that  she  was  quite  fast  enough 
for  safety  in  handling  and  economy  of  fuel. 

On  the  8th  of  May  we  sighted  Cape  Race  and  our  first 
berg,  the  comments  on  the  size  and  beauty  of  which 
from  the  "  tender- foot "  members  of  our  mess  were  quite 
diverting.  During  the  day  we  passed  many  hummocky 
bits  and  bergs  between  Cape  Race  and  Cape  Spear,  run- 
ning along  in  sight  of  the  black  rocky  coast,  with  purple 
heather  aglow  on  its  distant  hills,  and  patches  of  snow  in 
its  hollows  and  ravines  like  so  many  flocks  of  sheep. 
We  exchanged  signals  with  the  light-house :  "  Adieu ! 
God  speed  !  "  it  answered  ;  and  then  the  snow  and  ice  in 
the  valleys  and  lochs  seemed  to  struggle  with  the  white 
cottages  for  possession  of  the  little  garden  spots  on  shore. 
Apparently  all  the  inhabitants  in  this  region  directly  or 
indirectly  fish  their  livelihood  out  of  the  sea,  and  the 
coast  waters  are  dotted  with  the  brown  bark-tanned  sails 
of  the  myriad  little  fishing  craft.  General  hilarity  and 
good-fellowship  prevailed  among  our  company,  and  each 
member  was  earnest  in  his  endeavor  to  spin  the  best  and 
tallest  yarns.  There  was  much  better  material  in  the 
officers'  mess  of  the  Thetis  than  there  was  in  that  of  the 
Jeannette. 

We  arrived  in  the  harbor  of  St.  John's  early  on  the 
morning  of  the  9th  of  May,  and  diligently  set  to  work 
getting  our  dogs  and  a  few  articles  of  clothing  on  board. 
We  were  ready  for  sea  on  Sunday  morning,  but  a  whole 
gale  of  wind  was  blowing  outside  the  harbor,  and  the 
vessels  inside  were  dragging  their  anchors  ;  so  we  waited 
until  Monday  forenoon,  when,  accompanied  by  our  coal- 
vessel,  the  Loch  Garry,  we  steamed  off  for  Disco  and 
what  adventure  lay  before  us.  The  sea  continued  very 
heavy  for  several  days,  and  we  made  but  poor  headway. 
Towards  the  16th  the  weather  became  fine,  the  tempera- 
ture falling  to  about  the  freezing  point,  and  producing 
quite  a  jovial  state  of  feeling  among  the  ship's  company. 


424  THE   GREELY  RELIEF  EXPEDITION. 

When  in  latitude  60°,  well  off  the  coast  or  in  mid-chan- 
nel, we  met  with  large  quantities  of  drift-ice  and  numer- 
ous bergs,  but  we  kept  steadily  on  our  course  straight 
through  the  loose  pack,  sighting  many  seals  and  walrus. 
Nothing  unusual  occurred  to  disturb  or  enliven  the  even 
progress  of  our  passage  ;  though,  to  be  sure,  there  were 
some  in  our  party  to  whom  the  curious  and  beautiful 
berg-forms,  the  seals,  northern  birds,  and  all  the  other 
phenomena  of  high  latitudes,  were  a  fresh  and  constant 
source  of  delight. 

May  22d  we  came  up  abreast  of  Disco  Island.  A 
heavy  pack  extended  about  eight  miles  off  shore,  and  we 
here  had  presented  our  first  opportunity  of  testing  the 
ship's  ability  to  bore  her  way  through  masses  of  broken 
but  closely  crowded  ice.  The  wind  had  moved  the  pack 
off  shore,  leaving  a  lane  of  open  water  known  as  the 
"land  lead  "  or  "land  water."  We  had  no  great  trouble 
in  forcing  our  way  through  the  ice,  but  experienced 
some  difficulty  in  finding  the  harbor,  although  directly 
off  from  it,  because  of  the  puzzling  similarity  in  appear- 
ance of  the  high  rocky  headlands  and  promontories. 
The  proper  way  to  approach  the  harbor  is  from  the 
westward,  close  in  shore,  where  the  water  is  deep  and 
there  are  no  sunken  dangers,  and  where  the  beacon  on 
a  low  point  of  land  comes  into  plain  view.  As  we  drew 
near,  a  native  pilot  and  four  men  came  out  to  us  in  a- 
whale-boat  and  piloted  us  into  the  outer  harbor,  where 
we  made  fast  to  the  edge  of  the  ice,  the  main  harbor 
still  being  frozen  over.  The  Loch  Garry  fastened  along- 
side of  us,  and  the  work  of  filling  up  with  coal  was  at 
once  begun.  The  officers  of  the  Thetis  next  called  on 
the  governor  and  inspector,  the  two  Danish  officials  who 
look  after  the  interests  of  the  king,  to  whose  private 
purse  the  incomes  of  the  Greenland  settlements  accrue. 
Inspector  Alfred  Andersen  and  Governor  Peter  Peter- 
sen have  each  a  wife  from  Denmark,  both  bright  pleasant 


NORTHWARD   ONCE  MORE.  425 

ladies  who  have  come  into  voluntary  exile  with  their 
husbands  in  the  hope  of  deriving  a  pension  from  their 
government  that  will  secure  to  them  a  competency  in 
their  old  age. 

Here  at  Disco  I  met  again  my  old  shipmate  Hans 
Christian,  the  Esquimau  dog -driver,  who  served  with 
Dr.  Kane,  Dr.  Hayes,  and  Captain  Hall,  and  drifted 
about  with  the  memorable  flue  party,  returning  with  us 
to  Greenland  in  the  Tigress.  He  also  cruised  with  Sir 
George  Nares  in  the  English  Expedition  of  1874.  I 
saw  his  children,  now  full-grown  men  and  women,  but 
both  Charley  Polaris,  who  was  born  on  board  the  Polaris, 
and  his  mother,  are  dead.  Hans,  however,  has  another 
little  Charley,  for  he  took  unto  himself  a  new  wife,  as  all 
savage  or  semi-savage  men  do,  since  women  among  them 
are  only  slaves  and  drudges  attending  to  all  the  personal 
wants  of  their  lords  and  masters.  I  am  not  prepared  to 
say  that  she  is  "as  good  as  she  is  beautiful,"  yet  truly  if 
she  be  no  better  than  she  looks,  poor  Hans  is  deserving 
of  universal  compassion.  Still  I  have  no  doubt  but  that 
she  is  more  useful  than  handsome,  for  their  hut  was  kept 
in  comparative  good  order,  and  her  teeth  were  worn 
almost  to  the  gums  from  chewing  skins  for  boots  and 
clothing  for  the  household  and  the  market,  as  the  Es- 
quimaux carry  on  a  small  trade  with  the  crews  of  the 
visiting  whalers.  It  was  plain,  though  she  had  lost  one 
eye,  that  the  other  was  a  shrewd  business  one  and  could 
single  out  a  desirable  purchaser. 

I  visited  the  native  school-master,  who  keeps  the  vital 
statistics.  He  told  me  there  were  211  souls  in  the  dis- 
trict of  Lievely,  an  increase  of  one  over  the  census  of  last 
year,  the  population  having  remained  stationary  at  exactly 
210  for  the  past  ten  years.  There  had  been  five  births 
and  five  deaths  during  the  year,  and  one  arrival  from 
another  district.  From  his  records  he  gave  me  the  fol- 
lowing particulars  of  population  in  the  North  Greenland 


426  THE   GREELY  RELIEF  EXPEDITION. 

settlements :  Disco  Fiord,  52 ;  Upernavik,  which  in- 
cludes Tassusisack,  Proven,  and  the  outlying  villages, 
730;  Rittenbenck,  600;  Egemende,  900 ;  Jacobshaven, 
800  ;  and  Amenack,  800. 

I  strolled  all  over  the  old  ground  that  I  had  trod 
twelve  years  before  with  a  party  of  jolly  young  compan- 
ions. The  place  looked  much  the  same ;  the  huts  and 
hovels  were  as  squalid,  the  natives  every  whit  as  miser- 
able, as  they  were  then,  and  I  cannot  see  wherein  Chris- 
tianity has  ameliorated  the  condition  of  these  poor  people. 
Most  of  them  speak  a  little  English  learned  from  the 
passing  whalemen.  The  women  make  various  kinds  of 
small  articles  for  sale ;  caps,  slippers,  miniature  kyacks, 
tobacco  pouches,  etc.,  which  are  sold  on  board  the  ships. 
They  can  say  "  money,"  "  half-pound,"  "  pound,"  or  "  two 
pound,"  according  to  the  value  of  the  wares,  and  all  day 
long  the  natives  paddled  around  the  Thetis  selling  or 
trading.  Their  goods  are  very  poorly  made,  and  I  should 
think  that  if  the  government  official  really  had  their  wel- 
fare at  heart,  he  would  see  to  it  that  they  bestowed  more 
skill  on  their  work,  subject  to  the  inspection  of  the  store- 
keeper, and  would  fix  a  schedule  of  prices  for  standard 
articles. 

That  evening  the  inspector  had  a  cooper  shop  cleaned 
out,  and  a  couple  of  native  fiddlers  furnished  the  music 
for  a  dance,  in  which  the  sailors  and  Esquimaux  belles 
participated.  The  fun  was  prolonged  far  into  the  morn- 
ing, no  lights  being  needed,  for  at  this  season  of  the  year 
the  sun  is  continuously  above  the  horizon. 


CHAPTER  II. 

RACING  IN  THE   ARCTIC   WATERS. 

Upernavik.  —  The  Whalers.  —  Captain  Walker's  Story.  —  The  Bear 
Aground.  —  Racing.  —  Nipped.  —  The  Duck  Islands.  —  Off  Cape 
York.  —  Conical  Rock. 

On  the  morning  of  the  24th,  having  coaled  our  ships, 
we  set  sail  for  Upernavik,  attended  by  the  Loch  Garry. 
Heavy  pack-ice  lay  along  the  shore  and  extended  far  to 
the  westward.  The  inspector  and  governor  declared 
that  it  would  be  impossible  for  us  to  get  beyond  Hare 
Island,  in  the  mouth  of  Disco  Fiord,  the  Bear  having 
been  baffled  in  her  attempt  to  do  so  a  week  previous. 
Breasting  our  way  through  the  broken  ice  about  three 
feet  in  thickness,  we  succeeded  in  gaining  open  water, 
and  ran  pleasantly  on  until  six  P.  M.,  when  we  came  up 
with  a  solid  front  of  ice  lying  even  and  unbroken  to  the 
north  of  us,  and  apparently  reaching  across  Baffin's  Bay. 
The  weather  was  thick  and  lowering,  and  considerable 
sea  was  rolling  in  on  the  weather  edge  of  the  pack,  ren- 
dering the  situation  decidedly  unsafe  for  the  Loch  Garry, 
which,  being  little  else  than  a  great  iron  tank  filled  with 
coal,  should  she  receive  a  nip,  or  should  a  sea  drive 
her  against  the  ice-edge,  would  most  certainly  and  in- 
stantly become  spoils  for  Davy  Jones's  locker.  So  lying 
off  the  pack  all  night,  it  was  considered  expedient  next 
morning  to  send  the  Loch  Garry  back  to  Disco,  there  to 
abide  the  coming  of  an  easterly  gale  which  would  drive 
the  ice  off  shore  and  open  up  a  northerly  lead  for  her 
along  the  coast. 


428  THE   GREELY  RELIEF  EXPEDITION. 

The  Thetis  was  driven  bravely  into  the  pack  and 
headed  towards  shore,  in  the  hope  of  finding  land  water. 
On  we  went,  bumping  and  staggering,  but  making  fair 
headway  ;  at  times  colliding  with  a  sharp  shock  against 
great  floe-pieces  and  utterly  demoralizing  those  of  the 
company  who  were  inattentive  to  their  environments. 
We  forced  our  way  well  in  towards  Hare  Island,  and  after 
ramming  and  butting  for  several  hours  in  an  attempt  to 
break  through  a  narrow  neck  of  ice  that  impinged  against 
the  land,  finally  retired  behind  the  island  to  await  the 
action  of  the  ice.  While  lying  fast  to  a  small  berg, 
which  was  more  convenient  than  to  anchor,  we  descried 
two  steamers  approaching  us  through  the  Waigatt  Strait. 
One  proved  to  be  the  Loch  Garry,  and  the  other  the 
steam-whaler  Arctic,  the  most  powerful  of  all  the  Arctic 
steam-fleet,  and  commanded  by  Captain  Guy,  the  most 
intrepid  and  enterprising  young  sailor  in  northern  waters. 
We  thought  he  would  certainly  stop  and  speak  us,  but  not 
so ;  he  went  booming  along  at  the  rate  of  about  nine 
knots  an  hour,  barely  deigning  to  notice  us,  and,  plunging 
wildly  into  the  ice-neck  that  had  brought  us  to  a  halt, 
rolled  about  from  side  to  side,  banging  and  pushing  right 
through,  until  in  an  hour  or  so  he  had  almost  disappeared 
from  view.  We  then  followed  as  quickly  as  possible,  but 
the  ice  setting  in  shore  delayed  us  for  a  few  minutes.  At 
length,  emulating  the  example  of  our  whaling  friend,  we 
dashed  boldly  into  the  pack,  leaving  behind  the  Loch 
Gamy  and  the  Wolf,  another  of  the  whalers.  The  ice 
closed  again  and  shut  out  our  "coal-tank,"  but  presently 
both  vessels  got  through,  the  Loch  Garry  leading.  She 
soon  caught  up  with  us,  distancing  the  Wolf,  but  our 
good  fortune  was  only  of  short  duration,  for  running  sev- 
eral miles  into  a  blind  lead  we  were  compelled  to  retrace 
our  course,  and  during  this  time  the  Wolf  had  forged  far 
ahead. 

Thus  the  chase  continued  throughout  our  passage  from 


RACING  IN  THE  ARCTIC    WATERS.  429 

Disco  to  Upernavik,  where  we  arrived  on  the  morning  of 
May  the  29th.  The  run  was  an  exciting  one,  and  we  came 
in  victorious  over  both  the  Arctic  and  Wolf.  Here  we 
found  the  Bear  and  three  steam-whalers,  the  Triune, 
Polynia,  and  Nova  Zembla,  making  now  quite  a  fleet  of 
us,  seven  vessels  in  all,  with  five  more  to  be  heard  from. 
The  Bear  had  been  as  far  north  as  the  Browne  or  Berry 
Islands,  but  was  obliged  to  return  by  the  state  of  the  ice. 
Several  whalers  were  still  to  the  northward  of  Kingatook 
awaiting  the  opening  of  the  pack. 

Coaling  the  Bear  from  the  Loch  Garry,  we  all  got 
under  way  and  pushed  on  as  far  as  Kingatook,  the  Loch 
Garry  remaining  behind  until  the  arrival  of  the  Alert, 
when  the  season  would  be  so  far  advanced  that  there 
could  be  no  difficulty  in  bringing  her  forward  to  Little- 
ton Island.  When  we  halted  to  procure  a  lot  of  seal 
meat  for  our  dogs,  the  whalers  Aurora,  Cornwallis,  and 
Narwhal  were  in  sight.  All  the  whalemen  came  on  board 
to  visit  us  and  said  they  were  going  as  far  north,  if  nec- 
essary, as  Littleton  Island ;  for  they  all  knew  of  the 
$25,000  reward  offered  by  the  United  States  for  the  re- 
covery of  the  Greely  party,  and  proposed  making  a  des- 
perate effort  to  win  it  if  the  ice  was  loose  when  they 
reached  Cape  York.  Captain  Guy,  in  particular,  stoutly- 
asserted  his  intention  of  securing  the  reward;  so  we  were 
now  actually  entered  in  an  ocean  race  with  the  odds  very 
much  against  us.  There  were  ten  or  twelve  ships  in  the 
fleet,  the  Arctic  having  the  advantage  of  speed,  and  all 
the  whalemen  the  benefit  of  many  years'  experience ;  yet 
if  we  could  manage  to  keep  company  with  them  into  the 
North  Water  our  chances  would  then  improve. 

Captain  Walker,  for  forty  years  a  whaling  skipper, 
boarded  the  Thetis,  and  told  us  that  late  last  fall  he  had 
met  some  Esquimaux  near  Cape  York  who  lived  on  the 
coast  to  the  eastward  of  the  Etah  Esquimaux.  Among 
them  was  an  old  native  well  known  to  the  captain,  who 


430  THE   GREELY  RELIEF  EXPEDITION. 

at  one  time  had  presented  him  with  a  gun  for  some  ser- 
vice rendered.  Exhibiting  this  he  said  that  he  had  been 
hunting  reindeer  and  seal  for  a  party  of  five  white  men 
from  Lady  Franklin  Bay,  who  were  in  excellent  health, 
as  were  likewise  all  of  their  companions  up  in  the  far 
North,  save  the  Doctor,  who  had  been  shot,  whether 
accidentally  or  not  Captain  Walker  could  not  learn. 
Circumstances  were  such,  the  captain  explained,  that  he 
could  not  go  in  quest  of  the  white  men,  but  the  native 
was  a  thoroughly  reliable  old  fellow,  and  it  was  not  at 
all  likely  that  he  would  lie  to  him.  But  we  knew  that 
savage  tribes  the  world  over  are  greatly  given  to  exag- 
geration, and  delight  in  entertaining  their  listeners  with 
marvelous  perversions  of  the  truth. 

We  lay  at  Kingatook  waiting  for  the  ice  to  move,  until 
June  1st,  when  it  began  to  blow  a  half  gale,  and  the 
Arctic  fouled  with  the  Bear,  the  Bear  fouled  with  the 
Thetis,  and  we  were  all  forced  to  get  under  way  and 
stand  around  to  the  north  of  the  island.  Driving  our 
ship  nearly  its  whole  length  into  the  pack,  we  had  just 
made  fast  to  the  edge  of  the  floe,  when  we  observed  the 
entire  whaling  fleet  spin  away  to  the  northward,  the 
Arctic  leading  by  several  miles.  We,  of  course,  pushed 
off  at  once  in  hot  pursuit,  passing  the  Triune  and  Nova 
Zembla,  and  continuing  on  to  the  Berry  Islands,  where 
we  espied  the  Arctic  and  the  other  vessels  under  the 
land,  tied  to  the  floe-edge.  This  was  a  good  day's  work 
and  an  exciting  race,  but  we  could  go  no  further.  Seeing 
a  long  lane  of  water  in  shore  where  the  other  ships  lay, 
we  kept  on,  trying  to  force  our  way  toward  it  in  company 
with  the  Bear.  Presently  a  lead  opened  near  the  Bear, 
and  Captain  Schley  hailed  her  to  proceed.  She  shot 
ahead,  and  we  followed  at  full  speed  not  more  than  a 
hundred  yards  astern,  when  suddenly  we  saw  her  bring 
up  standing  on  a  shoal  or  rock.  She  seemed  to  leap  a 
foot  or  two  directly  out  of  the  sea,  and  then  roll  over  on 


RACING  IN  THE  ARCTIC  WATERS.  431 

either  side.  A  few  seconds  of  great  excitement  ensued. 
It  was  a  perilous  position,  and  we  all  fully  realized  what 
the  consequences  might  be.  "Back  her!  "  "  Stop  her!" 
"  Port ! "  "  Starboard ! "  was  shouted  ;  and  then,  —  "  Hard 
a  port,"  and  uGo  ahead ! "  and  the  Thetis  swung  swiftly 
around  in  deep  water  just  clear  of  the  stern  of  the  Bear, 
which  now  lay  fast  and  firm,  heeled  over  to  starboard. 
From  the  rate  at  which  we  had  been  going,  and  the  man- 
ner in  which  she  rocked  from  side  to  side,  we  knew  the 
shock  had  been  a  very  severe  one,  and  had  perhaps  occa- 
sioned such  damage  that  she  could  not  proceed  further  on 
the  voyage.  But  the  hawsers  were  quickly  in  play  ;  she 
soon  swung  around,  and  much  to  our  delight  and  relief 
settled  again  in  the  water.  We  then  both  steamed  into  a 
little  cove,  where  a  cursory  examination  revealed  no  seri- 
ous damage,  although  the  forefoot  and  iron  clamps  had 
been  carried  away  and  she  was  leaking  badly.  But  this 
amounted  to  little,  since  the  water  could  easily  be  pumped 
out  and  the  broken  and  shattered  timbers  would  soon 
swell  closer  together.  Thus  a  leak  of  a  foot  per  hour,  as 
in  the  case  of  the  Bear,  will  in  a  few  days  contract  to  a 
couple  of  feet  in  twenty-four  hours. 

None  of  the  numerous  rocks  or  shoals  along  this  coast 
are  marked  on  any  chart ;  indeed  no  proper  coast-survey 
has  ever  been  made.  The  whalemen  —  from  experience, 
that  best  of  all  instructors  —  are  tolerably  well  acquainted 
with  the  dangers  ;  but  as  far  as  the  mere  thing  of  ground- 
ing their  ships  is  concerned,  they  do  not  appear  to  mind  it 
in  the  least.  Two  of  the  whalers  were  leaking  at  the  rate 
of  twenty-four  inches  per  hour,  or  forty-eight  feet  in  twen- 
ty-four hours !  but  the  pumps  were  kept  in  constant  oper- 
ation, and  the  ships  continued  serenely  on  their  voyage. 
One  old  salt,  a  sturdy  Scot,  who  had  been  whaling  in 
Arctic  waters  for  many  years,  related  an  amusing  experi- 
ence. He  once  struck  his  vessel,  and,  in  his  own  lan- 
guage, nearly  tore   her  bottom  out.     She  was   leaking 


432  THE   GREELY  RELIEF  EXPEDITION. 

badly,  and  the  crew  mutinied,  expressing  a  natural  wish 
to  return  to  Scotland.  He  prevailed  upon  them,  however, 
to  continue  the  cruise,  which  resulted  in  a  very  successful 
catch ;  but  of  course  as  the  ship  was  loaded  with  oil  and 
bone,  she  sank  deeper  and  leaked  faster.  Finally,  when 
a  full  cargo  was  secured  and  the  water  was  making  very 
rapidly  in  the  hold,  the  plucky  old  captain  headed  for 
home,  and  mustering  his  crew  declared  that  — 

"He  would  like  to  see  old  Scotland  as  well  as  any  of 
them,  but  if  they  ever  expected  to  get  there  and  view 
her  bonny  blue  hills  again,  they  would  have  to  pump  and 
be  d d  to  them  !  " 

And  this  is  the  way  in  which  the  whaling  industry  is 
carried  on.  The  best  of  ships  are  originally  built  for  the 
trade,  yet  in  a  short  time  they  become  dilapidated,  but 
still  continue  to  do  service  and  roll  up  wealth  for  their 
owners.  Apropos  of  the  accident  to  our  consort  the 
Bear,  we  had  with  us  a  brawny  but  not  overly  bright 
son  of  Erin,  who  toiled  with  the  strength  of  a  giant  at 
the  hawser,  and  was  heard  to  grumble,  —  "  This  is  a  blank 
of  a  coast  where  there's  nay ther  light  nor  baycon,"  — 
as  if  he  expected  the  shores  of  this  desolate  region  to 
be  lighted  and  buoyed  like  our  green  section  of  God's 
country. 

We  were  held  captive  by  the  ice  off  the  Berry  Islands 
for  several  days.  All  the  whalers  were  equally  inas- 
tive,  save  that  a  man  with  a  spy-glass  was  never  out  of 
the  crow's-nest,  which  is  simply  a  large  cask  of  about 
sixty  gallons'  capacity  minus  its  head,  and  with  a  trap- 
door let  in  to  its  lower  end,  which  is  fastened  to  the 
fore  or  main  royal  pole  as  a  look-out  station.  We  all 
hunted  a  little  for  ducks  and  dovekies,  which  abound 
in  these  waters,  and  the  whalemen  took  occasional  climbs 
to  the  highest  point  of  the  islands  to  observe  the  move- 
ment of  the  ice. 

At  length,  on  the  morning  of  the  3d  of  June,  Mi*.  Nor- 


RACING  IN  THE  ARCTIC    WATERS.  433 

man,  the  ice-pilot,  reported  five  Esquimaux  sleds  with 
kyacks  and  hunting-gear  in  sight,  coming  from  the  west- 
ward and  making  toward  one  of  the  whale-ships.  Receiv- 
ing permission  to  take  a  whale-boat  and  volunteer  crew, 
including  Mr.  Norman,  I  started  across  the  open  lead  and 
then  through  the  soft  poshy  pack  to  intercept  the  hunters, 
surmising  that  they  might  be  an  advance  party  from 
Greely,  or  natives  with  information  of  him.  The  ice  in 
places  was  too  soft  to  bear  our  weight,-  and  as  a  steam- 
ship could  scarcely  force  her  way  into  it,  there  was  no 
use  trying  to  push  our  boat  through.  So  we  hauled  out, 
and  then  away  we  went,  breaking  through  at  every  pull. 
First,  Mr.  Norman  sank  in  up  to  his  arm-pits,  then  Hicky 
went  in  over  his  head,  and  Johnson  in  terror  jumped  for 
the  boat,  calling  forth  an  awful  anathema  from  Harvey ; 
and  thus  we  proceeded  about  three  miles  with  great  fun 
and  labor.  Meanwhile  the  whaler,  observing  our  manoeu- 
vre, rammed  into  the  ice  toward  the  approaching  Esqui- 
maux and  soon  had  them  on  boai'd.  We  clambered  up 
the  side  of  the  Narwhal  and  were  kindly  received  by  her 
master,  who  extended  us  the  hospitality  of  his  ship  and 
an  opportunity  to  wring  out  our  dripping  clothes  before 
returning  to  the  Thetis.  As  for  the  natives,  they  proved 
to  be  a  hunting-party  from  Tassusisack,  who  visited  the 
whalemen  to  barter  some  of  their  articles  for  bread,  to- 
bacco, etc. 

Our  ships  now  set  sail  again  and  made  good  progress 
along  the  coast  in  a  west  northwesterly  direction,  pass- 
ing the  village  of  Tassusisack,  where  several  natives  in 
canoes  hailed  us  and  pointed  out  a  way  into  the  harbor. 
But  we  kept  on  through  a  maze  of  small  islands,  high, 
bold,  and  bare,  impressively  picturesque  in  their  bleak 
ice-bound  silence.  Our  artist  ensign,  Mr.  Harlow,  here 
caught  a  number  of  excellent  views  with  an  instanta- 
neous camera.  At  last  our  land  lead  failed  us  and  we 
brought  up  against  a  solid  wall  of  ice,  held  immovably 

28 


434  THE   G RE ELY  RELIEF  EXPEDITION. 

in  place  by  the  many  little  islands.  We  lay  at  the  floe- 
edge  all  that  night,  and  next  morning  the  governor, 
attended  by  some  natives,  came  on  board  the  ship  and 
urged  us  to  return  to  Tassusisack,  where  we  could  pro- 
cure oog-joog  skins  for  boot- soles.  We  consented,  at 
length,  keeping  the  governor  on  board  as  pilot;  and  ar- 
riving safely  in  the  little  bay  where  the  Tigress  had  run 
aground  twelve  years  before,  we  moored  fast  to  the  ice  and 
sought  our  evening  meal.  The  whaling  vessels  had  been 
left  far  behind,  but  while  we  ate,  our  lookout  in  the 
crow's-nest  reported  the  whole  fleet  in  sight,  skipping 
along  to  the  westward,  with  the  Arctic,  as  usual,  in  the 
lead.  So,  regardless  of  supper,  our  lines  were  cast  off 
and  we  steamed  out  of  the  harbor  again,  vastly  to  the 
astonishment  of  our  friend  the  governor,  who  solemnly 
assured  us  that  the  ice  would  not  break  up  for  ten  days 
to  come.  It  was  greatly  a  matter  of  chance,  the  selection 
of  leads,  but  we  felt  very  much  chagrined  that  having 
gained  ten  or  fifteen  miles  over  the  whalers,  we  should 
now  see  them  fully  as  far  in  front  of  us.  Still  we  pushed 
forward,  and  eventually  had  the  satisfaction  of  passing 
some  of  them,  and  of  approaching  close  to  their  crack 
ship,  the  Arctic.  But  alas!  we  chose  a  lead  that  seemed 
fair  to  look  upon,  and  proceeded  six  or  eight  miles  in  it 
with  a  beautiful  blue  expanse  of  clear  water  still  stretch- 
ing beyond.  Then  taking  many  short  cuts  we  brushed 
so  perilously  close  to  the  bergs  that  more  than  once  we 
were  obliged  to  swing  the  boats  in-board  to  prevent  their 
being  swept  away  from  the  ship's  side.  It  was  a  grand 
race,  not  only  on  account  of  the  novelty  of  the  scene  and 
the  dangers  that  spiced  our  headlong  rush,  but  had  not 
our  nation  wagered  the  sum  of  $25,000  on  these  whale- 
men, and  was  not  the  honor  of  our  navy  at  stake?  We 
drove  on  in  a  narrow  canal-like  lead,  which  cut  off  at  least 
ten  miles  of  the  course  the  Arctic  had  taken,  and,  when 
within  five  hundred  yards  or  less  of  open  water,  made  a 


RACING  IN   THE  ARCTIC  WATERS.  435 

final  dash  at  a  small  crack  or  opening  in  the  canal. 
With  all  her  power  and  speed  brought  into  play,  the 
Thetis  rose  to  the  crash  like  a  blooded  charger  at  a  high 
hurdle,  but  she  was  caught  fast  in  the  narrow  jaws  of  the 
ice  as  if  in  a  vice,  and  rising  several  feet  out  of  the  water 
she  displayed  her  excellent  ability  to  withstand  a  nip. 
Yet  there  we  lay  firmly  fixed,  unable  to  advance  or 
retire.  The  Bear,  astern  of  us,  took  our  hawsers,  both 
steel  and  hemp,  but  they  parted  ;  we  hooked  two  anchors 
in  the  ice  and  worked  the  steam  capstans,  but  all  to  no 
purpose;  and  meanwhile  most  of  the  whale-fleet  sped 
tranquilly  through  the  clear  water  within  a  few  hundred 
yards  of  us,  and  halted  at  the  floe-edge  not  far  beyond. 
We  had  done  so  nobly  and  almost  won  ;  but  only  to  learn 
anew,  and  with  painful  emphasis,  that  there  is  indeed 
many  a  slip  'twixt  the  cup  and  the  lip. 

We  now  tried  to  blast  the  ice  in  our  immediate  vicin- 
ity. It  was  about  four  feet  thick,  but  rafted  together  in 
two  or  three  layers,  making  a  total  thickness  of  from 
eight  to  twelve  feet.  A  ridge  was  thrown  across  the 
canal  under  our  bows,  and  we  were  wedged  tightly  in 
by  two  projecting  points  of  ice  beneath  our  fore-chains. 
Albeit  quiet  and  comfortable,  this  was  by  far  the  most 
critical  position  we  were  placed  in  during  the  entire  voy- 
age. Happily  for  us  the  ice  was  still ;  for,  had  either 
wind  or  tide  set  it  in  motion,  the  floes  would  certainly 
have  passed  through  the  side  of  the  ship  like  a  sharp 
knife  through  an  old  cheese.  Charges  of  powder  and 
gun-cotton  were  exploded  under  the  bows,  but  with  no 
effect.  Then  a  single  charge  was  tried  on  the  port  side, 
as  close  to  the  ship  as  was  prudent,  since  the  ice  bore 
hard  against  her  and  the  shock  would  be  transmitted 
with  fearful  force;  yet  this  was  ineffectual.  Finally  ten 
charges  of  gun-cotton  and  gunpowder,  five  pounds  in  each 
charge,  or  twenty-five  pounds  of  gun-cotton  and  twenty- 
five  of  common  powder  in  all,  were  ranged  about  ten  feet 


436  THE   GREELY  RELIEF  EXPEDITION. 

apart  and  fifteen  feet  from  the  ship  in  a  gentle  circle 
abaft  the  swell  of  the  bows.  The  holes  were  bored  in 
the  ice  with  three-and-a-half -inch  augers  made  for  the 
purpose,  and  the  charges,  pushed  under  the  ice  and  be- 
tween the  layers,  were  exploded  simultaneously  by  means 
of  two  batteries.  The  effect,  so  far  as  relieving  the  ship 
was  concerned,  amounted  to  nothing.  The  shock  was 
terrific,  but  she  neither  budged  nor  settled  an  inch  in  her 
bed,  and  the  engines  of  both  vessels  were  powerless  to 
move  her.  The  explosions  simply  resulted  in  ten  dis- 
tinct holes,  each  six  or  seven  feet  in  diameter.  Our  ex- 
jDeriments  at  Disco  and  off  Hare  Island  had  been  equally 
unsatisfactory,  and  I  question  if  the  Thetis  could  have 
carried  enough  gun-cotton  in  her  coal-bunkers  to  have 
blown  her  through  the  ice  as  far  as  the  coal  contained  in 
the  same  bunkers  could,  with  judicious  handling,  have 
rammed  her.  Gunpowder  and  gun-cotton  are  useless  in 
exigencies  such  as  this,  and  had  the  ice  been  in  motion, 
nipped  as  we  were,  all  the  gun-cotton  in  the  world  could 
not  have  saved  us.  And  this,  I  may  say,  was  likewise 
the  opinion  of  our  own  torpedo  officer  on  board  the  Jean- 
nette,  Lieutenant  Chipp,  who  expressed  it  as  his  belief 
that  that  vessel  could  not  have  held  sufficient  powder  to 
have  released  her  from  the  bed  in  which  she  lay. 

We  persisted  in  our  efforts  until  after  midnight,  and 
then  turned  in,  anxious  to  see  what  the  morrow  and  the 
returning  tides  had  in  store  for  us.  The  day  had  been 
full  of  excitement,  and  now  the  night  was  a  sleepless 
one.  Sebree,  the  executive  officer,  was  out  by  five  A.  M., 
and  I  along  with  him.  A  survey  of  the  situation  showed 
that  the  ice  had  backed  off  and  the  ship  settled  down  to 
her  natural  water  bearings.  It  was  the  work  of  but  a 
few  minutes  to  get  out  a  couple  of  kedges  instead  of  the 
ice -anchors,  which,  though  easier  to  handle,  were  not 
sufficiently  tenacious.  Hawsers  were  next  brought  to 
the  steam-capstan  and  drawn  taut  to  the  point  of  snap- 


RACING  IN   THE  ARCTIC  WATERS.  437 

ping ;  another  waJS  attached  to  the  bows  of  the  Bear,  and 
we  then  pulled  slowly  out  of  the  death-lock  as  smoothly 
as  an  old  glove  slips  from  the  reader's  hand.  The  ram- 
ming process  was  now  continued,  and  we  at  last  suc- 
ceeded in  forming  the  series  of  holes  into  a  branch  of  the 
canal  extending  around  the  point  of  obstruction,  and  in 
several  hours  we  had  again  caught  up  with  the  leading 
ship  of  the  whale-fleet. 

June  6th.  A  gloomy  and  memorable  period  in  the 
history  of  the  Greely  party,  for  on  this  day  three  of 
their  number  died. 

We  had  tied  up  to  the  edge  of  the  ice,  when  towards 
noon  the  Arctic,  ever  vigilant  and  alert,  began  ramming 
at  a  tender  part  of  the  floe.  When  she  had  advanced 
about  three  hundred  yards,  with  the  Aurora  immediately 
in  her  wake,  we  swung  into  line  closely  followed  by  the 
Bear,  but  before  we  could  overtake  them  the  floes  came 
together,  and  we  were  once  more  forced  to  cut  our  way 
through,  the  Bear  and  Thetis  striking  alternate  blows. 
The  ice  opened,  at  length,  and  then  away  we  spun  after 
the  Arctic  and  Aurora,  with  the  remainder  of  the  fleet 
close  behind  us.  I  think  that  day  was  the  most  pleasur- 
ably  exciting  I  ever  passed  in  Arctic  regions.  Ten  fine 
ships  steaming  along  at  full  speed  in  a  race  for  the  relief 
of  Greely  ;  the  ocean  white  with  floe,  hummock,  and  posh  ; 
while  scattered  over  the  sea  of  ice,  as  thickly  as  stars  in 
the  heavens,  were  countless  bergs  of  all  sizes,  from  the 
tiny,  hummocky  bits  to  the  great  islands,  and  of  as  mul- 
tiform and  fantastic  shapes  as  the  clouds  floating  in  the 
blue  vault  above  us. 

Toward  evening  it  grew  cold,  and  rained  and  snowed  ; 
indeed,  I  should  have  observed  before  that  we  had  expe- 
rienced rain  and  snow  and  bad  weather  ever  since  we 
reached  the  Greenland  coast.  I  went  aloft,  and  could 
count  our  ten  ships,  all  in  plain  view  of  each  other,  made 
fast  to  the  floe,  and  waiting  for  a  north  or  northeasterly 


438  THE   GREELY  RELIEF  EXPEDITION. 

gale  to  drive  the  ice  out  of  the  bay,  or  so  scatter  it  that 
we  might  fight  our  way  forward.  To  the  westward  the 
Duck  Islands  were  in  sight,  and  to  the  eastward  the 
Horse's  Head.  We  kept  moving,  but  oh  !  so  slowly  ;  and 
there  was  not  a  clear  space  of  water  visible.  Arctic  nav- 
igation, however,  teaches  one  the  necessity  of  patience, 
and  of  instantaneous  displays  of  energy.  Thus,  we  were 
suddenly  called  upon  to  exhibit  our  agility,  for  all  at  once 
the  ice  opened  and  moved  before  us  like  a  kaleidoscope, 
and  in  an  instant  the  whole  fleet  was  steaming  in  the 
direction  of  the  Duck  Islands,  where  we  arrived  before 
midnight,  and  again  fastened  to  a  floe. 

And  there  we  lay  about  midway  across  Melville  Bay, 
still  patiently  abiding  the  tai'dy  movements  of  the  pack. 
The  whalemen  who  visited  us  did  not  expect  the  ice  to 
break  up  within  a  week,  and  then  only  under  the  influ- 
ence of  a  lively  gale,  which  at  that  season  was  scarcely 
to  be  looked  for.  Ducks  were  not  plentiful  here,  and  the 
combined  fusillade  maintained  by  the  various  hunting- 
parties  made  them  very  wild  ;  but  we  managed  to  secure 
a  few  of  the  eider  and  king  varieties,  both  of  which  are 
fairly  palatable.  A  month  later  these  islands  were  easily 
accessible,  and  it  is  singular  to  me  that  our  yachtsmen 
do  not  cruise  to  them  for  a  season's  shooting.  Walrus 
and  seal  were  scarce,  but  at  one  time  we  saw  a  school  of 
white  whales.  From  observations  taken  on  the  south 
side  of  the  islands,  we  found  that  they  were  in  latitude 
74°  N.,  whereas  they  are  erroneously  charted  about  ten 
miles  to  the  southward. 

On  the  morning  of  June  11th  we  again  got  under  way. 
For  forty  hours  a  fresh  wind  had  been  blowing  from  the 
northeast,  and  the  ice  streaming  down  left  plenty  of 
water  to  the  north  and  westward.  Accompanied  by  the 
fleet,  we  worked  out  and  around  the  floe,  making  but 
little  headway,  in  fact  not  advancing  at  all  on  our  course  ; 
but  then  the  pack  was  disintegrating,  and  that  was  a 


RACING  IN  THE  ARCTIC   WATERS.  439 

great  satisfaction.  The  ice  was  slowly  going  to  pieces, 
but  there  still  remained  large  cakes  of  a  square  mile  or 
more  in  extent.  It  was  comparatively  unbroken  or  tele- 
scoped, and  looked  as  though  it  might  be  the  previous 
winter's  growth.  There  were  two  thicknesses  of  thirty 
inches  each  —  quite  a  small  formation  ;  but  the  ice  we 
were  in  was  a  smooth  coherent  mass  of  many  miles,  seem- 
ingly the  permanent  floe  of  the  coast-line  turned  loose  by 
the  last  gale.  Perhaps  it  was  a  second  formation  ;  if  so, 
we  may  thus  account  for  the  large  quantities  of  ice  driven 
out  into  the  North  Atlantic  last  winter  and  spring  ;  for 
if  the  floe  remained  intact,  it  should  certainly,  in  that 
latitude  and  exposed  position,  have  grown  from  six  to 
eight  feet  thick. 

Slowly  we  edged  our  way  to  the  westward,  until  Wil- 
cox Head  appeared  in  sight,  and  had  the  weather  been 
clear  we  could  then  have  seen  the  Devil's  Thumb,  one 
of  the  most  remarkable  landmarks  on  the  coast.  But  a 
dense  fog  or  cloud  hung  across  the  land,  screening  from 
view  all  the  mountain  peaks  and  promontories.  It  was 
plain  we  would  be  late  in  crossing  the  bay,  for  last  year 
Captain  Phillips,  of  the  Narwhal,  traversed  the  North 
Water  in  Prince  Regent  Inlet  by  the  9th  of  June,  and 
some  of  the  whale-fleet  were  off  Cape  York  as  early  as 
June  3d.  The  passage  from  Upernavik  to  Cape  York 
has  been  made  in  thirty  hours,  but  we  felt  that  we  should 
be  lucky  indeed  if  we  could  accomplish  it  in  three  weeks. 
The  $25,000  reward  was  not  the  only  incentive  the  whale- 
men had  to  reach  the  North  Water  as  quickly  as  possi- 
ble ;  for  a  difference  of  three  days  will  sometimes  deter- 
mine the  success  of  a  catch.  As  soon  as  disturbed,  the 
whales  become  very  wary  and  take  to  the  ice,  barely 
affording  the  alert  whalemen  a  chance  to  strike  them,  or, 
if  struck,  they  dive  under  the  ice  and  escape.  A  major- 
ity of  the  whalers  go  annually  as  far  north  as  Dalrymple 
Rock  or  Saunders  Island,  and  they  intended   doing   so 


440  THE   GREELY  RELIEF  EXPEDITION. 

now  if  they  could  not  force  a  passage  through  the  middle 
pack  to  Lancaster  Sound  ;  but  Captains  Guy,  of  the  Arc- 
tic, and  Fairweather,  of  the  Aurora,  announced  their 
intention  of  proceeding  directly  to  Littleton  Island  in 
search  of  Greely.  According  to  the  terms  of  the  reward, 
if  they  could  communicate  even  one  hour  ahead  of  us, 
the  prize  would  be  theirs. 

On  the  14th  we  again  got  under  way,  the  Arctic  and 
Wolf  starting  a  good  hour  in  advance  of  us.  There  was 
an  abundance  of  open  water  in  sight,  and  we  worked 
steadily  along  the  edge  of  the  'shore  ice  within  respect- 
able distance  of  the  two  leading  whalers.  In  clear  water 
we  slowly  overhauled  them,  and  at  one  time  were  within 
a  mile  of  them,  but  in  passing  through  the  leads  they 
seemed  to  have  the  advantage  of  better  judgment,  and 
overcame  their  ice  difficulties  with  much  greater  ease. 
We  observed  from  the  first  that  Captain  Guy  invariably 
drove  his  ship  just  where  the  ice  broke  under  her  bows. 
We  now  had  a  good  lead  in  view,  and  if  luck  continued 
with  us  would  doubtless  make  Cape  York  on  the  morrow. 
Guy  in  his  powerful  vessel  still  kept  in  the  van,  and  it 
looked  very  much  as  though  he  would  capture  the  re- 
ward. Beyond  the  excitement  of  our  race,  the  days  were 
uneventful.  One  of  our  company  at  this  time  journeyed 
forth  on  the  floe  to  shoot  a  seal,  and  a  bear  following 
on  his  tracks  was  seen  and  shot  by  several  men  from 
the  Arctic.  Its  skin  was  purchased  by  an  officer  of  the 
Thetis,  and  a  portion  of  the  carcass  was  given  to  us  for 
our  dogs.  Some  of  the  men  brought  the  liver  in  and  fed 
it  to  the  canines,  a  number  of  which,  however,  refused  to 
partake  of  the  dainty,  although  a  little  Esquimaux  dog 
gorged  himself  upon  it,  and  apparently  without  injury. 
Yet,  strange  to  say,  "  Growler,"  one  of  our  finest  Labra- 
dor dogs,  ate  of  the  liver  and  died  in  convulsions. 

On  the  15th  of  June  we  brought  up  against  the  floe 
almost  in  sight  of  Cape  York.    I  fitted  an  eight-foot  Mel- 


RACING  IN  THE  ARCTIC   WATERS.  441 

ville  sled  for  a  dash  in  shore  should  we  be  beset  close  to 
the  Cape.  It  was  loaded  with  ten  days'  provisions  for 
four  men  and  eight  dogs,  and  weighed  in  all  four  hun- 
dred and  fifty-seven  pounds,  the  weight  of  the  sled  being 
sixty-six  pounds,  as  against  that  of  a  ten-foot  McClin- 
tock,  which  tipped  the  beam  at  ninety-four.  The  outfit 
consisted  of  one  and  a  half  pounds  of  pemmican  per 
man  a  day  ;  half  a  pound  of  bread ;  one  ounce  of  sugar ; 
one  half  ounce  of  tea  ;  four  sleeping-bags  ;  an  alcohol 
stove  ;  pots  and  pans;  two  gallons  of  alcohol ;  three  gal- 
lons of  water ;  one  shot-gun  and  one  rifle,  with  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  rounds  of  ammunition  for  each;  half  a 
pound  of  pemmican  per  day  for  each  clog  ;  two  paddles  ; 
two  boat-hooks  ;  one  heaving-line  and  small  grapnel ;  a 
rubber  blanket  (no  tent);  binocular  glasses ;  a  bunch  of 
rope-yarns,  and  some  small  stuff  for  extra  lashings ;  eye- 
goggles,  etc.  ;  and  some  provisions  that  I  knew  nothing 
of.  It  was  astonishing  how  far  the  guesses  came  from 
the  actual  weight ;  no  one  except  myself  estimated  more 
than  two  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  for  the  total  load  ; 
and  I  draw  attention  to  this  incident  merely  to  illustrate 
how  loads  grow  heavy  by  the  addition  of  "  just  one  more 
article,"  which  "  does  n't  weigh  much,"  in  fact,  "  noth- 
ing at  all ; "  but  by  the  accumulation  of  which  a  light 
flying  sled-load  becomes  an  unwieldy  burden. 

That  afternoon  we  all  moved  onward,  with  the  Wolf 
in  the  lead,  the  Arctic  and  Aurora  next  in  order,  and  the 
Thetis  and  Bear  following.  We  cut  off  the  Aurora,  and 
then  a  race  began,  resulting  at  length  in  our  defeat,  the 
Aurora  forging  half  a  mile  ahead  of  us.  Meanwhile  the 
mettlesome  Bear  had  been  snorting  at  our  heels,  impatient 
to  exhibit  her  speed  and  engage  the  whalers  ;  so  Captain 
Schley  now  signaled  her  to  advance.  At  the  command 
she  shot  past  us  and  gradually  crept  up  on  the  Aurora, 
but  it  was  only  a  spurt.  She  failed  to  overtake  her,  and 
during  the  attempt  we  had  so  increased  the  speed  of  the 


442  THE   GREELY  RELIEF  EXPEDITION. 

Thetis  by  gentle  jockeying  in  the  engine-room  that  the 
Bear  did  not  exceed  an  advance  of  six  thousand  feet. 
Thus  we  raced  until  the  morning  of  June  16th,  when 
once  more  the  pack  closed  up  in  front  of  us.  The  ice 
was  moving  rapidly  and  half  a  gale  was  blowing,  forcing 
us  to  shift  our  anchorage  to  the  edge  of  the  floe.  The 
Arctic  was  embayed,  the  first  time  we  had  seen  Guy  in 
an  unfavorable  position ;  but  he  had  still  a  chance  in- 
shore to  lead  us  in  the  final  heat  for  Cape  York,  which 
was  now  plainly  visible. 

The  pack  opened  on  the  17th,  and  speedily  we  were 
all  under  way,  the  Aurora  leading  by  fifteen  minutes, 
and  the  Thetis,  Wolf,  and  Bear  following  in  the  order 
named ;  but  the  Arctic,  the  pride  of  the  whale-fleet,  was 
soon  left  far  in  the  rear,  ice-locked.  Her  plucky  captain, 
however,  still  rammed  and  butted  at  his  prison  walls  like 
a  madman  in  his  cell,  or  a  frantic  hound  in  its  leash,  and 
before  we  reached  Cape  York  he  had  fought  his  way 
through  and  into  the  van  again.  Early  in  the  day's  con- 
test, the  Aurora,  with  us  in  her  wake,  ran  into  a  lead 
that  closed  upon  her.  Another  lead  showed  to  the  south- 
ward, and  we  took  this  just  as  the  Aurora  passed  safely 
through  followed  by  the  Wolf.  Our  lead  looked  narrow, 
and  Schley  slowed  the  Thetis.  She  stuck  fast,  and  in 
backing  out  we  broke  our  rudder  against  the  floe.  There 
was  danger  in  proceeding,  but  it  was  time  enough  to  halt 
when  we  could  not  help  it ;  so  on  we  plunged  after  the 
Aurora  and  Wolf.  All  that  night  the  race  continued, 
and  at  one  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  18th  we  entered 
the  North  Water.  The  Aurora  was  first  through,  five 
hundred  yards  in  the  lead  ;  then  came  the  Wolf,  with  our 
flying  jib-boom  over  her  rail,  and  the  Bear  directly  astern 
of  us.  As  we  made  the  North  Water,  cheer  after  cheer 
arose  from  each  ship,  for  we  all  rejoiced  at  our  release 
from  the  icy  grasp  of  Melville  Bay.  The  whalemen,  now 
fairly  on  their  fishing-ground,  were  jubilant  at  their  vie- 


RACING  IN  THE  ARCTIC   WATERS.  443 

tory  over  the  rest  of  the  fleet,  and  as  for  ourselves  we 
were  truly  proud  to  have  arrived  simultaneously  with 
them. 

The  race  was  now  renewed  for  Cape  York  in  a  clear 
sweep  of  water.  The  Aurora  and  Wolf  had  proved  them- 
selves as  fast  as  either  the  Thetis  or  Bear,  which  had 
about  the  same  boiler  power ;  but  the  latter  was  a  larger 
and  narrower  ship  and  a  little  speedier  than  the  Thetis. 
So  Captain  Schley  ordered  her  to  advance  if  possible, 
and  reaL'h  Cape  York  ahead  of  the  two  whalers,  and  if 
either  or  both  went  on  to  Littleton  Island  to  proceed  in 
company  with  them,  while  we  landed  at  Cape  York  and 
searched  the  coast-line  north.  Accordingly  she  pushed 
forward,  passing  the  Aurora  and  Wolf,  and  followed  a 
lead  in  shore,  dropping  a  boat  to  communicate  with  the 
Cape.  Then  seeing  no  vent  ahead  she  turned  back ;  and 
meanwhile  the  Thetis,  accompanied  by  the  Arctic,  hav- 
ing approached,  the  whaling  captains  boarded  our  vessel 
and  bade  us  good-by,  saying  they  would  yield  the  chase 
and  proceed  westward  to  their  whaling-ground. 

Standing  in  towards  the  Cape,  we  then  picked  up  the 
boat,  sled,  officer,  and  three  men,  dropped  by  the  Bear, 
and  running  our  bows  against  the  solid  floe-edge  spoke  to 
a  native  who  had  seen  our  ships  in  the  offing  and  had 
come  down  on  a  dog-sled  to  hail  us ;  but  we  only  gleaned 
from  him  that  nothing  had  been  seen  or  heard  of  the 
white  men  at  or  near  Cape  York.  The  Bear  had  been 
instructed  to  attend  the  movements  of  the  whalers,  lest 
they  should  play  double  by  crossing  the  North  Water  to 
the  westward,  and  following  the  west  water  of  the  mid- 
dle pack  north  to  Littleton  Island.  So  doubling  Cape 
York  at  once,  we  now  stood  along  the  land,  passing  the 
Esquimaux  village  that  was  originally  located  on  the 
eastern  side  of  the  Cape,  but  which  has  been  shifted  half 
an  hour's  ride  to  the  westward.  It  comprised  six  huts, 
tepees  or  igloos,  but  how  many  inhabitants  we    did  not 


444  THE   GREELY  RELIEF  EXPEDITION. 

learn,  seeing  but  one.  About  three  p.  M.  we  arrived  at 
Conical  Rock,  having  halted  to  put  in  several  bolts  that 
had  been  broken  during  our  struggle  with  the  floes.  It 
was  fortunate,  indeed,  for  us  that  they  had  remained  in 
place  while  we  rammed  and  raced  across  Melville  Bay. 

Thus  far  we  had  received  no  reliable  intelligence  of 
Greely,  for  Captain  Walker's  Cape  York  native  was 
doubtless  a  liar.  From  the  broken  and  scattered  condi- 
tion of  the  ice  in  Davis  Strait,  I  was  convinced  that  there 
had  been  open  water  there  for  more  than  a  month,  and 
that  it  was  then  navigable  all  the  way  up  to  Littleton 
Island.  Floes  and  rafts,  it  was  evident,  had  been  driven 
hither  and  thither,  and  the  ice  had  packed  on  either 
shore  according  as  the  wind  blew  ;  but  then,  from  the 
easy  manner  in  which  the  Thetis  cut  her  way  through 
the  rotten  and  friable  floes,  I  felt  confident,  I  repeat,  that 
the  Strait  had  been  open  for  many  days.  Bergs,  of  course, 
were  numerous,  and  out  of  every  ravine  there  pushed  a 
glacier  of  greater  or  less  magnitude.  We  were  now  in 
plain  sight  of  the  Petowick  Glacier,  which  reaches  from 
Cape  Parker  Snow  to  Cape  Dudley  Digges,  a  magnificent 
extent  of  glistening  white,  the  surface  as  rough  and  trou- 
bled as  a  great  heaving  sea,  and  from  every  facet  and 
angle  of  which  sparkled  the  rays  of  the  sun.  Its  drop- 
pings studded  the  Strait  for  miles  in  every  direction. 


CHAPTER   III. 
THE   RESCUE. 

Saunders  Island.  —  Cape  Parry.  —  Littleton  Island.  —  Finding  the 
Records.  —  The  Greely  Party.  —  Scenes  at  Camp  Clay.  — Preserv- 
ing the  Dead. 

We  all  felt  relieved  now  that  the  race  for  the  $25,000 
was  over  or  abandoned,  —  not  that  we  could  claim  the 
reward,  but  Congress  by  an  unlimited  appropriation  had 
authorized  the  fitting  of  our  expedition  at  a  cost  of 
$750,000,  and  then  deliberately  offered  a  prize  of  $25,000 
for  the  whalemen  to  beat  us  ;  and  had  Greely  been  at 
Cape  York  and  the  whale-fleet  but  a  few  hours  ahead  of 
us  they  would  have  earned  the  money,  with  us  in  sight 
at  the  time  of  rescue.  It  may  be  said  to  this  that  the 
prospect  of  reward  hurried  the  whale-fleet  to  the  front, 
and  that  to  save  our  reputation  we  could  not  lag  behind ; 
but  then  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  whalemen  were 
as  anxious  for  their  whales  as  we  were  for  Greely,  and 
that,  as  previously  stated,  they  have  been  known  to  be 
off  Cape  York  as  early  as  June  3d,  while  with  all  our 
exertion  of  energy  we  only  arrived  there  on  the  morning 
of  the  18th. 

We  finally  after  twenty-four  hours  tired  of  waiting  for 
the  Bear,  and  got  under  way  from  Conical  Rock,  where 
there  was  little  game  of  any  kind,  birds,  seal,  or  walrus. 
The  Bear  we  supposed  was  working  her  way  north  on  the 
west  side  of  the  pack  toward  the  Cary  Islands,  where  there 
was  a  large  cache  of  provisions,  and  where,  as  Mrs.  Greely 


446  THE   G  RE  ELY  RELIEF  EXPEDITION. 

had  told  Lieutenant  Emory,  her  husband  would  surely 
be  found.  We  were  obliged  to  stand  well  off-shore  to 
keep  in  the  open  water,  which  extended  to  the  north  as 
far  as  we  could  discern  from  aloft.  Placing  a  cairn  on 
Woostenholm  Island  to  inform  the  Bear  of  our  movements, 
we  came  to  off  Saunders  Island  on  June  20th,  and  found  a 
large  summer  encampment  of  natives,  probably  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  in  number,  who  had  journeyed,  they  said, 
from  North  Star  Bay  in  spring  time.  They  visited  us  on 
eighteen  dog-sleds,  and  men,  women,  and  children  roamed 
all  over  the  ship.  They  had  nothing  to  barter,  but  took 
anything  that  was  offered  them,  and  modestly  asked  for 
everything  they  saw.  They  told  us  they  had  seen  the 
Proteus  party  on  its  retreat  last  summer,  but  had  not 
shown  themselves  because  they  were  afraid ;  three  or  four 
of  their  men  and  women  having  even  remained  hid  on 
Saunders  Island  while  Garlington  and  his  men  camped 
there.  Since  then,  however,  they  had  not  seen  or  heard 
of  any  white  men  from  the  north.  One  of  our  male  visit- 
ors had  lost  a  foot  at  the  ankle,  and  with  his  leg  encased 
in  a  tight-fitting  moccasin  w;is  stumping  unconcernedly 
around  on  the  joint.  Whether  any  one  assisted  Jack 
Frost  in  amputating  the  foot  we  could  not  discover. 
Another  old  fellow  was  possessed  of  an  ancient  and  di- 
lapidated gun  of  German  manufacture.  The  cock  would 
not  stand  for  him,  so  he  held  it  up  in  order  to  snap  a  cap. 
A  second  native  owned  an  old  United  States  Springfield 
musket,  stamped  1862,  but  like  the  first  he  had  neither 
powder,  lead,  nor  caps,  for  which  we  were  deaf  to  their 
entreaties.  I  observed  while  in  Siberia  that  the  Yakut 
and  Tunguse  dislike  the  cap  gun  and  cling  persistently  to 
the  old-fashioned  flint-lock,  because  the  steel  will  practi- 
cally last  forever  and  they  can  always  procure  a  flint. 

Upon  giving  the  natives  a  few  scraps  of  iron  they  im- 
mediately indicated  that  they  wished  them  fashioned  into 
spear-heads;  and  indeed  a  blacksmith  would  be  altogether 


THE  RESCUE.  447 

a  more  useful  and  acceptable  gift  than  the  missionary 
that  the  Greenland  governor  promises  to  send  them. 
Their  sleds  were,  like  those  built  by  all  Esquimaux,  mar- 
vels of  ingenious  and  patient  workmanship;  the  runners 
and  cross-bearer  bars  consisting  of  small  bits  of  wood  and 
walrus  bone  bound  together  with  thongs,  and  shod  their 
whole  length  with  ivory,  but  so  covered  with  grease,  blood, 
and  filth  that  it  was  almost  impossible  to  see  how  they 
were  knit  or  joined.  Like  the  natives  themselves,  who 
were  living  on  the  fat  of  their  land,  to  wit,  on  seal  and 
walrus  fat  and  blubber  and  water-fowl  of  all  kinds,  the 
dogs  were  in  excellent  condition,  but  as  wild  as  wolves. 
The  sight  of  our  ship  and  people  seemed  to  fill  them  with 
terror,  and  they  tugged  frantically  away  at  their  leashes 
and  traces  until  some  at  length  succeeded  in  freeing  them- 
selves and  dashing  across  the  floe.  Hitherto  these  natives 
had  never  made  use  of  boats,  but  they  were  now  utilizing 
a  small  one  abandoned  by  the  Proteus  party,  and  were 
constructing  the  frame  of  a  kyack  from  small  pieces  of 
drift-wood  lashed  together.  What  a  godsend  to  these 
people  it  would  be  to  dump  in  their  midst  the  condemned 
material  of  a  cooper's  yard!  As  an  illustration  of  the 
rudeness  of  their  work,  I  saw  a  harpoon  staff  six  feet  long 
composed  of  ten  distinct  pieces  of  wood  lashed  compara- 
tively straight,  and  shod  with  walrus  ivory. 

After  a  halt  of  several  hours  at  Saunders  Island  we 
pushed  on  to  Cape  Parry,  where  we  landed  and  left  a 
record  marked  by  a  flag  for  the  Bear.  Here  there  were 
fresh  sled-tracks  on  the  snow  and  ice,  turning  into  Whale 
Sound ;  and  on  the  low  beach  that  stretches  along  the 
foot  of  the  mountains  were  numerous  Esquimaux  graves, 
and  many  little  cairns  and  spots  covered  with  refuse, 
where  the  natives  had  made  their  summer  encampments. 
Rabbits  were  seen  in  great  numbers  on  the  highlands  and 
in  the  valleys  ;  there  were  fresh  evidences  of  the  presence 
of  deer  ;  and  indeed,  from  the  nbundance  of  walrus,  seal, 


448  THE   GREELY  RELIEF  EXPEDITION. 

and  bear  bones  scattered  along  the  beach,  it  was  evident 
that  this  is  a  decidedly  favorite  hunting-ground.  While 
there  I  secured  the  skulls  of  five  Esquimaux,  all  in  a  fair 
state  of  preservation,  but  covered  with  moss  and  lichens 
and  very  delicate  to  handle. 

When  leaving  our  anchorage  close  in-shore,  where  we 
had  fastened  to  the  narrow  ice-foot,  the  Thetis  slightly 
scraped  the  bottom  on  the  starboard  bilge,  but  no  damage 
was  incurred,  and  we  proceeded  without  delay.  The  ice 
lay  in  a  solid  mass  about  three  feet  thick  across  the  mouth 
of  Whale  Sound,  but  we  skirted  the  edge  in  beautiful 
open  water,  seldom  having  occasion  to  struggle  with  the 
floe.  As  we  ran  along  we  noticed  a  fresh  sled-track  pro- 
ceeding from  Northumberland  Island  towards  Cape  Parry, 
but  the  round  grooves  in  the  snow  and  ice  showed  that 
the  runners  bad  been  shod,  Esquimau  fashion,  with 
walrus  tusk  ivory.  The  team  had  consisted  of  three  dogs, 
and  we  could  distinguish  the  mark  of  the  whip  trailing 
behind  in  the  snow. 

On  the  morning  of  June  21st  we  arrived  at  Littleton 
Island,  the  objective  point  of  our  cruise.  It  had  been  our 
intention  to  pass  between  Littleton  and  McGarry  islands, 
but  the  wind  blew  shoreward,  and  upon  slowing  the  ship 
she  sagged  down  to  leeward  out  of  mid-channel,  and  we 
struck  heavily  on  the  Littleton  Island  shore.  The  engine 
was  kept  in  motion,  however,  and  the  ship  gradually 
forged  ahead  with  helm  hard  a  starboard,  until,  hanging 
for  an  instant  amidships,  she  at  length  came  off  without 
injury,  and  we  rounded  McGarry  Island  and  made  fast 
to  a  grounded  berg.  Life-Boat  Cove  was  in  plain  sight, 
but  no  vestige  of  the  old  Polaris  house  remained.  It  had 
been  so  strongly  built  of  the  deck-house  and  upper  timbers 
of  that  vessel  that  I  had  thought  it  would  surely  last  for- 
ever, but  the  Esquimaux  have  evidently  torn  it  down  for 
the  wood. 

After  an  early  morning  meal  we  landed  to  search  the 


THE  RESCUE.  449 

island  for  cairns  and  records,  confident  that  Greely  had 
done  everything  in  his  power  to  reach  this  point.  We 
found  untouched  and  in  good  condition  the  Neptune  cairn 
and  the  one  erected  by  Sir  George  Nares,  together  with 
the  coal  and  stores  cached  by  the  Neptune  party ;  but 
there  was  no  record  whatever  of  Greely  or  his  men. 
While  lying  here  we  shot  a  few  ducks  and  gathered  a 
number  of  eggs;  and  on  Sunday  morning  (June  22d)  we 
landed  one  thousand  rations  of  bread,  pemmican,  tea, 
sugar,  and  alcohol  for  fuel.  The  Bear  had  not  yet  shown 
herself  since  we  separated  at  Cape  York ;  and  now,  after 
waiting  thirty  hours  for  her,  with  fair  and  promising 
weather,  Commander  Schley  had  become  very  anxious 
to  advance.  But  as  it  had  been  part  of  the  general  plan 
of  the  expedition  that  our  two  ships  should  keep  together 
as  constantly  as  possible  so  as  to  avoid  the  disaster  that 
overtook  the  Proteus  during  the  absence  of  the  Yantic,  he 
finally  decided  to  run  over  and  search  Cape  Sabine,  the 
water  being  open  and  favorable,  and  then  return  to  Little- 
ton Island  to  await  the  arrival  of  the  Bear.  This  we  set 
out  to  do,  and  the  men  were  actually  on  shore  about  to 
cast  off  the  lines,  when  greatly  to  our  delight  we  descried 
the  Bear  coming  up  the  channel. 

It  appeared  that  in  company  with  the  whale-ships  she 
had  proceeded  but  a  short  distance  to  the  westward, 
when  it  was  discovered  that  the  North  Water  did  not  ex- 
tend any  further.  So  they  were  all  obliged  to  return, 
and,  being  unable  to  find  entrance  into  the  land  lead, 
worked  their  way  north  through  the  middle  pack,  failing 
to  see  us  when  we  lay  at  Conical  Rock,  and  to  observe 
our  cairns  or  signals  there  or  at  Woostenholm  Island  and 
Cape  Parry.  The  whole  fleet  continued  on  to  the  Gary 
Islands,  where  they  halted  in  the  hope  of  finding  a  pas- 
sage to  the  west  of  the  pack.  The  Bear,  after  examining 
the  cache  of  provisions  there  and  finding  it  in  a  good 
state  of  preservation,  then  pushed  on  to  Littleton  Island, 

29 


450  THE   GEE  ELY  EELIEF  EXPEDITION. 

having  learned  no  more  of  the  fate  of  Greely  and  his 
men  than  did  we.  But  those  who  had  known  the  man, 
his  orders,  and  that  clause  of  his  own  final  instructions, 
directing  that  a  depot  of  supplies  be  made  at  Littleton 
Island,  and  that  a  sharp  lookout  be  kept  on  Cape  Sabine 
for  his  retreating  column,  were  assured  that  he  had  used 
every  means  in  his  power  to  gain  Littleton  Island  ;  for, 
as  a  regular  officer  of  twenty-three  years'  service,  it  was 
not  likely  that  he  would  deal  lightly  with  orders,  or 
pursue  a  course  different  from  the  one  he  had  marked 
out.  Some  persons  there  were,  it  is  true,  who  professed 
to  believe  that  he  would  not  abandon  Fort  Conger ;  and 
others  again,  with  even  less  foundation  for  their  belief,  that 
after  proceeding  as  far  south  as  Cape  Sabine  he  would  at- 
tempt to  return  ;  but  it  was  our  general  and  only  war- 
ranted impression  that  we  would  find  Greely  as  near  to 
Littleton  Island  as  he  could  possibly  come.  And  there- 
fore, since  we  had  searched  all  the  prominent  points  north 
from  Cape  York,  the  next  places  in  order  were  Cape 
Sabine,  Payer  Harbor,  and  Brevoort  Island,  all  within  a 
radius  of  several  miles  of  each  other.  So  about  a  quarter 
past  seven  in  the  afternoon  of  the  22d  both  ships  got 
under  way  standing  across  the  bay,  and  soon  brought  up 
against  the  fast  ice  north  of  Payer  Harbor  between  Bre- 
voort Island  and  Cape  Sabine. 

As  heretofore,  every  one  who  could  be  spared  was  sent 
on  shore  to  search  for  cairns  and  records,  Commander 
Schley  ordered  the  steam-cutter  of  the  Bear  to  be  low- 
ered and  got  in  readiness  for  a  visit  to  the  cairn  built  to 
the  westward  of  Cape  Sabine  by  the  Neptune,  and  the 
depot  of  five  hundred  and  fifty  rations  made  by  Lieu- 
tenant Garlington  at  the  same  place.  A  party  was  also 
dispatched  to  examine  a  cairn  left  by  the  Neptune  on  a 
low  neck  of  land  connecting  Brevoort  Island  wTith  the 
main  Stalknecht  Island ;  a  party  under  Lieutenant 
Taunt   of   the  Thetis  was  detailed  to  search   Brevoort 


THE  RESCUE.  451 

Island  ;  another  under  Ensign  Harlow,  to  visit  the  cache 
on  Stalknecht  Island  ;  and  finally  officers  and  men  from 
both  vessels  were  dispersed  in  all  directions  to  find  what 
they  could. 

Dr.  Green  of  the  Thetis  and  myself  made  straightway 
for  Stalknecht,  passing  Dr.  Ames,  who  was  on  his  way  to 
the  main-land.  We  could  distinguish  the  cairn  on  the 
island,  but  there  was  broken  ice  between  us  ;  and  pres- 
ently we  saw  Ensign  Harlow  and  command  make  a  de- 
tour along  the  land  for  the  solid  floe.  At  this  instant 
a  cheer  arose  from  Taunt's  party,  on  Brevoort  Island. 
They  had  discovered  the  first  record,  and  we  next  ob- 
served seaman  Yewell,  of  our  ship,  waving  it  above  his 
head  and  running  like  a  deer  towards  the  Thetis.  Has- 
tening on  in  the  direction  of  the  Stalknecht  cairn,  now 
in  plain  sight,  we  were  suddenly  startled  by  another 
cheer,  issuing  this  time  from  Ensign  Harlow's  force,  like- 
wise of  the  Thetis.  Joining  him  we  found  that  he  had 
tumbled  down  the  cairn  and  come  upon  a  box  of  choice 
photographs,  and  papers,  instruments,  and  records  of  the 
Greely  expedition  ;  together  with  a  separate  record  left 
by  Lieutenant  Lockwood.  It  was  dated  September  22d, 
1883,  just  nine  months  past,  and  stated  that  the  party 
had  gone  "  into  camp  four  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Cape 
Sabine,  or  about  midway  between  that  point  and  Cocked 
Hat  Island.     Twenty-five  men,  all  well." 

Twenty-five  men,  all  well !  At  this  good  news  my 
companions  seemed  overjoyed,  but  I  reminded  them  that 
the  record  was  written  nine  months  before,  and  that  ere 
now  all  hands  may  have  starved  to  death.  However,  the 
Thetis  and  Bear  were  now  blowing  their  steam-whistles 
for  our  return,  and  we  had  seven  pieces  of  baggage  to 
carry  back  over  the  rugged  ice.  Ensign  Harlow  sig- 
naled the  Thetis  for  a  sled,  but  five  of  us,  without 
waiting,  seized  each  a  package  of  books  or  papers  and 
started  across  the  floe,  meeting  at  length  the  sled-party, 


452  THE  GREELY  RELIEF  EXPEDITION. 

and  soon  we  were  all  again  on  board  ship.  Meanwhile 
Commander  Schley  had  ordered  a  party  composed  of 
Colwell,  Lowe,  Ash,  and  Dr.  Ames  of  the  Bear,  and  Mr. 
Norman,  the  ice-pilot  of  the  Thetis,  with  a  couple  of  men, 
to  proceed  to  the  spot  where,  in  the  record  found  by  Lieu- 
tenant Taunt,  Greely  and  his  men  were  said  to  be. 

By  this  time  the  screeching  of  our  whistles  had  alarmed 
the  unfortunates  at  Camp  Clay,  and  three  of  the  strongest 
of  their  number,  Fredericks,  Long,  and  Brainerd,  tottered 
down  to  the  edge  of  the  rocky  promontory  to  look  for 
the  relief  they  were  sure  had  come.  The  whole  party 
had  been  lying  under  a  portion  of  the  fallen  tent  for 
forty  hours,  some  of  the  men  being  buried  beneath  it 
and  unable  to  move,  for  a  gale  had  been  steadily  blowing 
for  fifty-six  hours.  The  three  had  gazed  long  and  anx- 
iously to  the  eastward,  whence  they  were  expecting  suc- 
cor, but  no  sight  or  sound  of  the  longed-for  ship  glad- 
dened their  eyes  or  ears.  They  were  nearly  palsied 
with  disappointment,  and  one  of  them  declared  that  he 
now  despaired  for  the  first  time. 

Returning  then  to  their  starving  comrades  with  the 
sad  intelligence  that  no  vessel  was  in  sight,  a  garrulous 
discussion  arose  as  to  the  cause  of  the  prolonged  and  dis- 
tinct blast  which  sounded  so  strangely  like  a  steam-whis- 
tle, for  they  had  heard  but  one  blast,  albeit  the  whistles 
of  both  ships  were  kept  blowing  for  more  than  half  an 
hour.  Lieutenant  Greely  at  last  told  the  men  to  cease 
their  quarreling  and  save  their  strength  for  a  better  pur- 
pose. Long  then  said  he  would  go  again  to  the  low 
promontory  and  take  another  look.  He  did  so,  and  gaz- 
ing eastward  beheld  our  steam-cutter.  With  unspeaka- 
ble joy  he  tried  to  raise  a  signal  of  distress  —  the  loom 
of  an  oar  with  three  old  rags  nailed  fast  to  it ;  but  the 
furious  wind  blew  it  down.  The  steam-cutter  had  now 
observed  him,  however,  and  run  in-shore  to  the  ice-foot, 
down  upon  which  Long  contrived  to  roll  and  scramble. 


THE  RESCUE.  453 

Clamoring  meanwhile  for  food,  he  informed  his  eager 
questioners  that  his  comrades  were  over  the  hill,  and  that 
seven  still  survived,  one  of  them  an  officer,  Major  Greely. 
At  this  Mr.  Norman,  our  ice-pilot,  bounded  out  of  the 
boat  and  up  the  hill,  and  was  the  first  of  our  company 
to  greet  Greely,  as  he  had  also  been  the  last  to  see  him 
three  years  before,  when  the  Proteus  had  carried  the 
command  up  to  Lady  Franklin  Bay. 

"  Greely,  are  ye  there?  How  do  ye  get  in  ?  "  Mr.  Nor- 
man  hailed  from  without  the  tent,  the  rear  end  only  of 
which  was  standing. 

"Is  that  you,  Mr.  Norman  ?"  responded  Greely  at  once. 

"  Yes,  it  is ;  you  are  all  right  now,  succor  has  come ; " 
shouted  Norman,  who  was  now  joined  by  Lowe,  and  Ash, 
the  ice-pilot  of  the  Bear.  Following  then  the  directions  of 
Lieutenant  Greely,  he  cut  the  back  out  of  the  tent  with 
his  pocket-knife. 

While  this  was  transpiring  Commander  Schley  had 
leaped  on  board  the  Bear  and  backed  her  out  of  her  ice- 
bed,  instructing  Lieutenant  Sebree  of  the  Thetis  to  pick 
up  the  search  parties  from  both  ships  and  bring  them 
around  to  Camp  Clay.  So  only  a  few  minutes  elapsed 
ere  the  Bear  had  followed  the  cutter,  and  the  Thetis  the 
Bear,  and  soon  every  officer  and  man  in  our  expedition 
who  could  be  spared  was  doing  his  utmost  to  transport 
the  survivors  on  board  ship,  and  to  gather  together  the 
wreckage  of  the  camp.  All  the  while  the  wind  was 
blowing  so  fiercely  that  only  a  strong  man  could  with- 
stand it.  Luckily  it  was  off-shore,  and  the  ships  could 
safely  steam  straight  against  it ;  but  so  powerful  was  the 
gale  that  though  going  at  full  speed  they  were  driven 
back,  and  when  turned  around  by  the  force  of  wind 
under  bare  poles  were  placed  in  no  little  peril.  Indeed, 
it  seemed  as  if  the  evil  fortune  that  had  pursued  the 
luckless  band  of  heroic  explorers  was  invoking  the  aid 
of  the  elements  to  prevent  at  this  critical  moment  their 
rescue  before  death. 


454  THE   GREELY  RELIEF  EXPEDITION. 

The  scene  itself  was  indescribable,  and  I  shall  not  at- 
tempt to  depict  our  pity  and  horror  as  we  viewed  it.  A 
cold  barren  plateau,  between  a  small  outlying  promon- 
tory and  a  bleak  weather-riven  rock  of  red  syenite  reach- 
ing to  the  skies,  on  which  even  the  mosses  and  lichens 
would  scarce  grow.  The  raging  of  the  wind  and  the 
pitiless  sea,  and  the  roar  of  the  black  water  of  the  bay 
dashing  over  the  ice-foot,  made  the  lonesome  picture 
look  colder  and  more  appalling.  Drifts  of  ice  and  snow 
choked  the  ravines  and  hollows;  but,  saving  ourselves 
and  the  famished,  skeleton-like  survivors,  not  a  living 
thing  appeared  on  the  whitened  landscape.  The  region 
truly  seemed  to  be  the  most  desolate  on  the  face  of  the 
earth.  It  looked  as  though  the  curses  of  ten  thousand 
witches  had  descended  upon  and  blasted  it,  and  even  the 
birds  would  not  dare  to  take  their  flight  across  the  lifeless 
land  lest  they  too  fall  victims  into  the  death-gap  below. 

Struggling  up  the  valley  of  death,  against  the  frantic 
wind,  from  the  low  point  to  the  westward  of  the  camp, 
where  we  managed  with  difficulty  to  effect  a  landing  in 
our  whale-boats,  we  first  came  upon  the  remains  of  the 
winter  habitation,  a  parallelogram  of  four  walls  about 
three  feet  high,  built  of  loose  stone,  the  inside  dimensions 
being  perhaps  18  X  22  feet,  with  a  tunnel  or  covered  way 
facing  the  mountain  to  the  southward.  This  hut  had 
been  roofed  over  with  the  whale-boats  turned  upside 
down  and  covei'ed  with  the  sails  and  tent-cloths ;  the 
smoke-flue,  made  of  old  tin-kettles  bound  with  bits  of 
canvas,  was  thrown  to  one  side  ;  and  water  had  risen 
in  and  about  the  wretched  dwelling-place  to  a  height  of 
eight  inches,  concealing  much  of  the  foul  evidence  of 
squalid  misery  in  which  its  poor  occupants  had  lived. 
Cast-off  fur  and  cloth  clothing,  empty  tin  cans,  and  the 
sickening  filth  of  twenty-five  men  for  nine  months,  lay 
heaped  and  scattered  about  —  a  veritable  Augean  scene. 
Continuing  up  the  valley  toward  a  little  rise  of  ground  we 


THE  RESCUE.  455 

passed  the  dead  body  of  a  man  laid  out  on  a  projecting 
plane  of  rock.  A  woollen  cap  was  pulled  down  over  his 
face,  his  hands  were  crossed  on  his  breast,  and  his  cloth- 
ing and  blankets  were  fastened  around  him  with  old 
straps  and  shreds  of  rope  or  yarns.  Further  up  the  hill 
lay  the  summer  camp  or  tent,  black  with  smoke  and 
partly  blown  down,  the  flaps  flying  in  the  wind,  which 
was  blowing  loose  papers,  leaves  of  books,  and  old  cloth- 
ing hither  and  thither ;  and  on  their  backs  within  this 
half-open  inclosure  lay  the  poor  creatures  whom  we  had 
come  to  rescue,  now  more  dead  than  alive. 

Greely,  in  his  sleeping-bag,  and  resting  on  his  hands 
and  knees,  was  peering  out  through  the  open  door-way ; 
his  hair  and  beard  black,  long,  and  matted,  his  hands 
and  face  begrimed  with  the  soot  of  months,  and  his  eyes 
glittering  with  an  intense  excitement.  For  what  terrible 
days  of  agony  had  been  swept  into  oblivion  by  this  su- 
preme moment  of  joy.  Succor  had  come  at  last !  And 
yet  he  scarcely  seemed  to  realize  it.  Mr.  Norman  told 
him  who  I  was,  and  he  said  lie  was  glad  to  see  one  of  the 
people  of  the  Jeannette,  for  he  had  learned  a  great  deal 
of  the  history  of  our  expedition  from  scraps  of  newspapers 
that  had  been  wrapped  around  some  lemons  left  by  the 
Garlington  party.  Alongside  of  him  lay  a  man  on  his 
back,  Sergeant  Ellison,  to  whom  he  introduced  me,  and 
who  said  he  would  like  to  shake  hands  with  me,  but  his 
hands  and  feet  were  both  frozen  off.  I  looked  down  and 
saw  that  his  nose  was  likewise  gone.  Yet  he  seemed 
cheerful  and  bright,  and  coolly  discussed  his  sorrowful 
plight,  thrusting  out  one  of  his  arm-stumps,  which  I 
shook  in  lieu  of  a  hand.  Higher  up  and  beyond  the  tent 
was  the  burial-ground,  where  ten  bodies  lay  in  a  row, 
some  barely  covered  with  loose  earth  and  stones.  The 
first  grave,  or  one  nearest  to  the  northern  crest  of  the 
hill,  had  been  very  carefully  made,  for  it  was  that  of 
Sergeant  Ross,  the  first  man  to  die,  and  the  survivors. 


456  THE   GREELY  RELIEF  EXPEDITION. 

were  then  still  strong  enough  to  endure  a  little  exertion. 
To  the  southward,  or  toward  the  face  of  the  mountain, 
the  graves  became  more  and  more  shallow,  just  as  the 
strength  of  the  party  was  waning.  All  the  faces  were 
covered  with  woollen  hoods  and  cloths  or  handkerchiefs ; 
and  each  body  was  stretched  out  on  its  back,  with  the 
hands  crossed  on  the  breast  and  the  clothing  bound 
round.  Only  one  corpse  was  found  unburied,  that  of 
Private  Henry ;  but  the  six  that  had  been  interred  in  the 
ice-foot  were  of  course  beyond  recovery. 

In  the  camp  all  was  bustle  and  confusion.  One  man, 
Connell,  was  to  all  appearance  lifeless  ;  his  face  was  fixed 
in  death  ;  he  was  cold  from  the  hips  down  ;  and  he 
scarcely  breathed.  Three  days  before  he  had  eaten  his 
last  ration  of  seal-skin,  and,  abandoning  all  hope,  had 
calmly  determined  to  die.  Doctors  Green  and  Ames  had 
their  hands  full  of  work.  Water-kettles  were  heated, 
and  the  clothes  being  stripped  from  the  half-dead  Con- 
nell, be  was  wrapped  in  a  blanket  dipped  in  hot  water. 
A  little  brandy  was  then  poured  down  his  throat,  but  it 
ran  out  at  the  side  of  his  mouth  until,  catching  his  breath, 
he  drew  in  sufficient  to  choke  him  and  blew  out  the  rest. 
Yet  the  few  drops  he  retained  sufficed  to  revive  him,  and 
rolling  his  head  to  one  side  he  said  wearily,  "  Let  me 
die  in  peace."  Not  realizing  that  succor  had  arrived,  he 
thought  his  comrades  were  still  laboring  with  him.  How- 
ever, he  survived,  and  still  lives.  He  was  a  vivacious 
sort  of  man,  and  when  on  board  the  Thetis  a  few  days, 
remarked,  —  "  Well,  boys,  it  was  a  pretty  close  squeeze 
for  me.  Death  had  me  by  the  heels,  and  you  pulled  me 
out  by  the  back  of  the  neck." 

Stretchers  were  brought  from  the  ship,  and  the  sur- 
vivors carried  to  the  steam-cutter  and  then  transferred  to 
the  Thetis  ;  all  save  Fredericks  and  Long,  who,  as  hunters 
for  the  party,  had  been  allowed  additional  rations  from 
the  game  procured,  to  maintain  their  strength  for  the 


The  Devil's  Thumb.     2.  Lieutenant  Greely.     3.  Finding  the  Greely  party. 
4.  Carrying  them  down  to  the  boats. 


THE  RESCUE.  457 

extra  exertion  demanded  of  them.  The  camp  was  devoid 
of  all  food  except  a  few  pounds  of  boiled  seal-skin  strips, 
contained  in  tin  cans.  The  final  division  of  this  food  had 
been  made  some  days  before,  and  each  man  had  charge 
of  his  own  meagre  supply.  Considerable  wood,  includ- 
ing about  four  feet  of  the  bows  of  the  light-boat,  still 
remained  as  fuel;  and  the  bodies  of  the  two  ducks  just 
killed,  and  one  as  yet  untouched,  were  found  at  the  old 
winter  hut.  Here,  let  me  again  observe,  that  this  seems 
to  be  the  most  desolate,  inhospitable  spot  on  the  face  of 
the  earth ;  while  only  twenty-one  and  a  half  miles  across 
the  Sound,  sea-fowl  and  the  eggs  thereof  are  as  plentiful 
as  mosquitoes  in  Siberia.  We  killed  two  or  three  hundred 
braces  of  eider  ducks  at  Littleton  Island,  and  our  people 
would  not  touch  gull  eggs,  so  bountiful  was  the  supply  of 
duck  eggs.  At  Cape  Sabine  the  famishing  camp  seldom 
saw  a  bird  of  any  kind,  nor  any  walrus,  and  but  few  seal ; 
while  on  the  opposite  coast  there  was  an  abundance  of 
game  a  month  or  six  weeks  earlier  in  the  season. 

The  faces  of  two  of  the  men  were  so  swollen  that  they 
could  scarcely  see,  and  the  rheum  and  slime  had  gathered 
in  their  eyes  and  half  blinded  them.  They  were  too 
weak  to  help  themselves,  and  dipping  an  old  woollen 
sack  in  warm  water  I  cleansed  the  eyes  of  one  who  lay 
upon  his  back  gazing  dimly  in  the  direction  where  our 
mast-heads  could  be  seen  across  the  rocks. 

Commander  Schley  stood  by  and  said,  — 

"  My  man,  don't  you  see  the  ship's  masts  ?  Don't  you 
see  the  flags  ?  "     For  we  had  mast-headed  our  colors. 

"Please  lift  me  up  a  little,"  he  urged  huskily,  "that  I 
may  see."  Then  catching  sight  of  the  colors,  he  cried, — 
"  Hooray  !  There  is  the  old  flag  again  ;  now,  boys,  we  '11 
get  some  mush."  And  he  did  his  best  to  raise  a  feeble 
cheer,  while  tears  of  joy  ran  down  his  cheeks  as  we  sup- 
ported him  in  his  sleeping-bag. 

When  I  shook  poor  Ellison  by  the  stump,  he  said,  — 


458  THE   GREELY  RELIEF  EXPEDITION. 

"  So  you  are  one  of  the  officers  from  the  Jeannette,  and 
poor  De  Long  is  dead.  You  must  have  had  a  terrible 
time."  Here  was  sympathy  sure  enough.  A  man  with 
nose,  feet,  and  hands  frozen  off,  who  for  months  had  been 
helplessly  stretched  upon  his  back  enduring  every  agony 
and  horror  but  death  itself,  could  nevertheless  find  room 
in  his  bleeding  heart  to  pity  the  past  sufferings  of  others. 
A  noble  nature,  indeed.  He  it  was  who  sacrificed  his 
life  on  the  expedition  to  Cape  Isabella  for  the  English 
beef,  when  Sergeant  Rice  likewise  perished. 

And  these  are  the  great  souls  who  die  for  their  com- 
panions ;  who,  with  their  lives  in  their  hands,  crawling 
on  their  very  knees,  go  bravely  forth  to  meet  an  heroic 
death,  while  their  comrades  are  in  their  sleeping-bags, 
or  their  cruel  critics  away  off  in  comfortable  pot-houses 
are  penning  their  uncharitable  and  infamous  obloquies. 
Yes,  when  the  cold  waves  extinguished  the  life  of  that 
poor  Esquimau  whose  frail  kyack  was  cut  through  by  the 
treacherous  ice  while  he  so  bravely  strove  to  catch  the 
seal  his  white  friends  were  dying  for,  —  there  perished 
one  of  the  noblest  of  souls. 

And  wolves,  and  ghouls,  and  would-be  critics  of  Arctic 
toil  and  suffering,  halt  and  know  that  the  men  whom 
you  traduce  or  whose  memories  you  would  blast  forever, 
perhaps  for  a  penny  a  line,  are  made  of  finer  clay  than 
you  ;  men  who  were  and  are  yet  ready  to  sacrifice  every- 
thing on  earth  save  honor  for  the  sake  of  science  and 
the  benefit  of  mankind.  Men  who  did  their  best;  and 
that  best  is  so  far  ahead  of  the  conception  of  their  mali- 
cious judges  that  it  is  a  nation's  shame  that  it  permits 
its  heroes,  living  and  dead,  to  be  dragged  through  the 
slime  of  public  courts  and  press  for  the  gratification  of 
the  prurient  multitude  of  scandal-mongers,  gloating  over 
the  silly  effusions  of  the  Arctic  critic  who  never  ventures 
his  dear  life  nearer  to  the  Arctic  Circle  than  can  be  seen 
from  the  window  of  some  tall  printing-house  south  of 
50°  N.  latitute. 


THE  RESCUE.  459 

It  was  after  midnight  of  June  22d  before  we  finished 
our  sad  duty  of  removing  all  the  dead  and  living,  to- 
gether with  the  books  and  papers  and  certain  relics,  from 
Camp  Clay  to  our  two  vessels ;  and  we  then  sought  shel- 
ter from  the  gale  under  the  lee  of  Brevoort  Island.  The 
next  morning  saw  both  ships  moored  together  at  Payer 
Harbor ;  but  when  the  fury  of  the  wind  had  abated, 
Captain  Schley  sent  back  in  the  Bear  a  party  of  officers 
and  men  selected  from  both  companies  to  go  over  the 
ground  more  carefully  at  Camp  Clay  and  gather  up  all 
overlooked  articles  that  might  be  of  value  either  as  me- 
mentoes or  a  part  of  the  history  of  the  expedition. 

The  pendulum  and  a  case  of  photograph  negatives 
which  we  had  left  the  previous  day  on  Stalknecht  Island 
were  taken  on  board  ;  and  after  a  search  of  several  hours 
the  shrill  whistle  of  the  Bear  recalled  us  in  haste,  and 
we  left  behind  many  articles,  of  no  value,  however,  except 
as  relics.  The  ice  that  had  been  driven  up  the  Sound  by 
the  gale  was  now  returning  with  a  dangerous  rush;  so 
we  steamed  across  to  Littleton  Island  and  made  fast  to  a 
small  berg. 

All  the  dead  except  Private  Henry  had  been  laid  out 
on  the  Thetis  and  covered  with  ice  readily  hoisted  over 
the  ship's  side  for  that  purpose,  and  now  the  question 
arose  as  to  their  care  and  preservation ;  for,  albeit  the 
temperature  was  far  below  freezing  point,  the  sickening 
odor  from  the  bodies  pervaded  the  whole  ship.  It  was 
at  first  proposed  to  build  an  ice-box,  but  then  we  be- 
thought ourselves  of  the  alcohol  we  had  on  board  and 
the  oil-tanks  in  the  engine-rooms.  So  these  were  called 
into  requisition,  and  five  of  the  dead  being  transferred 
to  the  Bear  for  preparation,  those  on  the  Thetis  were 
stripped  of  their  clothing,  and  bandaged  after  the  man- 
ner of  an  Egyptian  mummy.  They  were  then  sewed  up 
in  sheets,  chocked  tightly  in  the  tanks  with  billets  of 
wood,  and  covered  with  alcohol,  sixty  per  cent,  pure, 


460  THE   GREELY  RELIEF  EXPEDITION. 

which  not  only  prevented  further  decay  but  rendered  the 
bodies  hard  and  solid  to  the  touch.  This  last  and  melan- 
choly office  was  performed  by  the  surgeon  of  each  ship 
assisted  by  several  of  the  officers  who  volunteered  their 
services,  and  the  disagreeable  duty  was  done  behind  a  can- 
vas screen  on  the  forecastle,  away  from  the  idle  gaze  of 
the  crew.  To  avoid  any  possible  error  or  difficulty  in  the 
future  identification  of  the  bodies,  a  piece  of  numbered 
canvas  was  sewed  on  each  one,  beginning  with  Sergeant 
Cross,  the  first  man  to  die,  who  was  consequently  marked 
number  one,  and  so  on  down  to  the  last  body  in  the  row 
of  graves,  number  ten ;  then  came  Private  Snyder,  whom 
we  had  found  on  the  projecting  rock;  and  finally — num- 
ber twelve  —  the  remains  of  Private  Henry,  recovered 
from  the  ice-foot. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  RETURN   VOYAGE. 

Reminiscences.  —  Foulke  Fiord.  —  The  Inconstant  Esquimaux.  — 
The  Burial  of  Frederic  Christiansen.  —  St.  John's.  —  Portsmouth. 
—  New  York. 

As  will  be  supposed,  there  were  many  incidents  of  ab- 
sorbing interest  related  to  us  by  the  rescued  party.  At 
one  time,  they  said,  their  hunter  killed  a  dovekie  weigh- 
ing about  a  pound.  Greely  assigned  the  whole  of  it  to 
the  hunter,  to  encourage  him  in  his  good  work  and  keep 
up  his  strength.  But  one  poor  fellow  clamored  for  his 
share  of  the  food.  In  vain  Greely  tried  to  show  him 
that  his  quota  would  only  amount  to  an  ounce,  and  that 
it  would  be  far  better  for  him  in  the  end  to  yield  it  to 
the  hunter.  He  claimed  his  ounce,  and  said  he  would 
pay  $300  of  the  money  due  him  from  the  government  for 
the  bird.  He  burst  into  tears,  and  finally,  to  quiet  him, 
he  was  given  an  ounce  of  the  raw  flesh.  He  ate  it  and 
was  satisfied,  although  his  comrades  ridiculed  him  and 
called  him  coward.  Three  days  later  he  died  of  starva- 
tion. 

The  skins  and  bones  of  the  birds  procured  were  used 
for  shrimp-bait.  These  little  shrimps  or  sea-fleas  are 
about  the  size  of  a  grain  of  millet  seed,  and  were  caught 
in  tin  cans  punched  full  of  small  holes,  which  at  intervals 
were  drawn  up,  cleaned  of  their  contents,  and  then  reset. 
Of  these  diminutive  Crustacea  it  requires  2,300  to  fill  a 
gill  measure !  Ye  fishermen  who  fish  for  a  living,  think 
of  this !  And  still  on  these  they  contrived  to  eke  out  an 
existence  for  weeks. 


462  THE   GREELY  RELIEF  EXPEDITION. 

We  left  Littleton  Island  early  in  the  morning  of  June 
24th,  and  had  gotten  well  out  in  the  Strait,  when  the 
Bear  signaled  us  to  wait.  We  afterwards  learned  that 
as  she  was  about  to  get  under  way,  an  oomiak  full  of  na- 
tives came  alongside  of  her.  They  had  been  living  at 
Life-Boat  Cove,  just  to  the  north  of  where  we  were 
lying,  but  had  escaped  our  notice.  Steaming  along  the 
coast,  now  quite  free  of  ice,  we  at  length  ran  into  the 
mouth  of  Foulke  Fiord,  or  Port  Foulke. 

The  harbor  was  still  locked  by  the  fast  bay  ice,  but  we 
could  see  far  up  the  Fiord,  beyond  the  little  island  which 
afforded  Dr.  Hayes  such  a  snug  anchorage.  Cold  and 
bleak  though  it  be,  it  is  a  beautiful  spot,  and,  compared 
with  Camp  Clay,  or  the  everlasting  ice-pack  that  sur- 
rounded the  Jeannette,  looked  a  perfect  paradise.  In  the 
dim  mist  the  distant  mountains  could  be  seen  stretching 
far  inland,  and  but  for  the  raw  chilly  air  of  the  day  one 
of  a  dreaming  nature  might  have  idly  stood,  and,  survey- 
ing the  peaceful  scene,  have  lost  himself  in  reveries  of 
the  dolcefar  niente.  Small  wonder  that  Hayes  selected 
this  superb  place  for  his  winter  harbor ;  it  is  enchanting 
enough  to  tempt  any  one  to  winter  there  and  drink  in 
its  Arctic  glories,  from  the  great  rocks  fading  away  in 
the  fog  from  black  to  a  hazy  purple,  to  the  dazzling  purity 
of  the  crystal  glacier.  There  is  nothing  so  grand  in  na- 
ture; and,  as  I  said  before,  I  cannot  help  marveling  why 
our  millionaire  yachtsmen  do  not  cruise  there  and  enjoy 
these  matchless  sights.  The  voyage  can  be  made  in  two 
months,  July  and  August,  with  entire  safety  to  the  frail- 
est of  their  steam-yachts. 

Towards  noon  we  again  put  off  and  sailed  down  as  far 
as  Northumberland  and  Hackluyt  islands,  where  we  lay 
all  night.  In  the  morning  we  found  that  the  ice  had 
drawn  us  down  on  the  land,  and  it  was  with  no  little  dif- 
ficulty that  we  released  ourselves.  About  ten  P.  M.  of 
that  day  we  were  off  Cape  Parry,  and  making  fast  to  the 


THE  RETURN   VOYAGE.  463 

ice  sent  a  party  on  shore  to  remove  our  old  record  and 
replace  it  with  a  new  one  for  the  Alert,  in  case  we  should 
pass  her  on  our  way  south. 

Proceeding,  we  spoke  the  whalers  Jan  Mayen,  Esqui- 
maux, and  Narwhal,  which  were  working  their  way  across 
the  North  Water,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  26th  we 
espied  two  more  under  the  land  at  Woostenholm  Island. 
We  then  ran  into  the  mouth  of  North  Star  Bay  and 
moored  to  the  floe.  Here  a  number  of  Esquimaux,  seven 
dog-sled  loads  of  men,  women,  and  children,  paid  us  a 
visit  and  were  photographed  for  their  trouble,  though  in 
addition  we  gave  them  bread  and  plenty  of  wood  and 
needles.  Resuming  our  voyage  we  were  off  Conical  Rock 
before  morning,  and  lifting  the  record  we  had  left  for  the 
Bear,  deposited  in  its  stead  a  fresh  one  for  the  Alert. 

Now  that  our  duty  of  rescuing  the  perishing  party  was 
happily  performed,  we  had  plenty  of  leisure  to  jog  easily 
along  on  our  return  home  and  do  the  artistic  Arctic 
thing  of  tying  up  to  a  berg,  or,  as  the  Arctic  poet  would 
more  prettily  put  it,  "  lie  out  a  gale  under  the  lee  of  a 
friendly  berg."  We  tried  to  do  this  that  night,  but  the 
berg  we  selected  was  too  high  and  not  at  all  friendly ;  it 
carried  away  our  flying  jib-boom  and  head -gear,  and 
knocked  the  cheek,  breasts,  and  arms  from  "  Mrs." 
Thetis.  So  as  heretofore  we  ran  the  ship  into  the  pack, 
where  we  lay  quietly  enough,  drifting  gently  along. 

While  we  were  threading  our  way  through  the  loose 
ice,  one  of  our  two  Esquimaux  interpreters  was  seen  to 
leap  suddenly  over  the  ship's  side  and  dash  towards  the 
land  like  a  deer.  Instantly  both  vessels  were  put  about 
and  driven  through  the  pack  to  cut  him  off,  and  several 
men  from  the  Bear  took  up  the  chase  on  foot.  As  the 
fellow  ran,  he  would  occasionally  halt,  roll  over  on  his 
back,  and  elevate  his  legs  in  the  air  to  let  the  water  out 
of  his  moccasins,  which  were  evidently  weighing  him 
down  ;  but  finally,  after  a  hot  pursuit  of  a  mile  or  two,  he 


464  THE   GREELY  RELIEF  EXPEDITION. 

was  captured  and  returned  to  the  ship.  He  would  offer 
no  explanation  of  bis  conduct,  and  becoming  insolent  was 
at  last  put  in  irons  for  safe  keeping.  We  could  assign 
no  reason  for  bis  wishing  to  desert,  unless  it  were  to  es- 
cape marriage  to  some  dusky  maiden  at  Disco  to  whom 
he  had  become  engaged,  for  the  governor  sometimes 
forces  the  gay  young  Lotharios  into  matrimony.  Per- 
haps he  longed  for  the  freedom  of  the  Etah  Esquimaux 
whom  we  bad  just  left,  or  be  may  have  found  a  new  love 
among  their  number.  However,  he  fled  the  ship  utterly 
unprepared  for  a  journey;  having  neither  provisions  of 
any  kind  about  him,  nor  weapons  with  which  to  procure 
game.  And  previously  he  had  been  entirely  happy  and 
contented  among  us,  and  had  grown  as  fat  as  a  porker. 
It  may  be  that  he  desired  to  convert  himself  into  a  moun- 
tain spirit,  for  these  natives  have  a  superstition  that  all 
who  stray  away  into  the  mountains  and  starve  to  death 
straightway  become  powerful  spirits  for  good  or  evil  to 
friends  or  enemies  ;  and  possessed  of  this  belief  many  of 
them  have  been  known  to  wander  away  and  voluntarily 
perish. 

Desertion  among  the  Esquimaux  is  by  no  means  un- 
common. Hans  left  both  Kane  and  Hayes  for  the  Etahs; 
Joe  Iberbing,  growing  weary  of  the  restraint  on  the  Ti- 
gress, asked  to  be  put  on  shore  with  his  people  at  Nianti- 
lisk  Harbor ;  Greely  told  us  that  his  two  natives,  taking 
a  notion  at  one  time  to  go  home,  set  boldly  forth  and  had 
to  be  forcibly  arrested,  one  of  them  starting  off  in  mid- 
winter, without  his  mittens  or  any  means  of  procuring 
food,  to  make  the  long  journey  back  to  Proven  or  Disco ; 
and  I  remember  that  poor  Alexia  often  spoke  of  securing 
permission  to  return  home  from  the  ice-bound  Jeannette. 

As  we  advanced  to  the  southward  our  patients  grew 
stronger  —  all  save  Sergeant  Ellison,  whose  mind  gave 
way.  The  shock  was  too  great,  and  then  as  we  fed  him 
the  blood  coursed  more  freely  and  there  was  danger  of 


THE   RETURN   VOYAGE.  465 

the  old  wounds  at  bis  ankles  breaking  out  anew.  Dr. 
Green  told  us  that  second  amputations  would  be  neces- 
sary when  we  reached  warmer  weather.  Poor  fellow,  he 
had  sucn  queer  fancies ;  and  it  was  so  sadly  plain  that  he 
must  die. 

Rounding  Cape  York  we  were  now  fairly  on  our  way 
home.  On  the  evening  of  June  30th,  while  still  in  sight 
of  the  Devil's  Thumb,  we  met  the  Alert  and  Loch  Garry. 
Our  mail  was  brought  on  board,  and  the  night  passed 
merrily.  But  what  a  constant  surprise  and  curiosity  that 
"iron  tank,"  the  Loch  Garry,  was  to  us;  for  verily  I  do 
not  believe  there  was  a  single  individual  in  St.  John's  of 
any  ice  experience  whatever,  or  who  gave  the  subject  any 
thought,  who  for  one  instant  imagined  that  the  Loch 
Garry  would  ever  cross  Melville  Bay.  Nevertheless,  she 
got  half  way  over,  and  the  worst  half  at  that  ;  though 
there  can  be  no  doubt  that  had  she  been  nipped  in  the 
tenderest  fashion,  she  would  have  collapsed  like  a  black- 
smith's bellows.  This  simply  shows  what  kind  of  vessels 
the  almighty  dollar  can  induce  to  venture  into  the  Arc- 
tic regions  ;  then  why  not  our  strongly  -  built  gunboat 
types  ?  Where  there  's  a  will,  there  's  a  way,  and  it  was 
really  astonishing  to  watch  the  Loch  Garry  pushing  along 
with  the  rest  of  us. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  July  2d,  while  running  briskly 
ahead,  the  Thetis  just  cleared  a  rock,  but  the  Bear,  which 
seemed  to  possess  a  penchant  for  such  things,  ran  hard 
and  fast  aground.  However,  our  combined  efforts  shortly 
set  her  free  ;  and  now  the  time  had  come  for  the  Thetis 
and  Bear  to  part  company  for  a  while  with  the  Alert  and 
Loch  Garry,  they  to  proceed  directly  to  Disco,  while  we 
halted  at  Upernavik  to  take  up  the  coal  that  had  been 
deposited  there  by  the  Loch  Garry.  We  did  not  enter 
the  Danish  harbor  to  the  north  of  the  village,  for  it  was 
too  small ;  but  both  ships  anchored  in  the  fiord  off  the 
town.     As  a  matter  of  course  we  got  adrift,  and   the 

30 


466  THE   GREELY  RELIEF  EXPEDITION. 

Thetis  slipped  her  cable  and  lost  an  anchor  and  sixty 
fathoms  of  chain  to  avoid  a  collision  with  the  Bear.  It 
is  always  preferable,  if  there  be  but  one  or  two  ships,  to 
anchor  in  the  Danish  harbor  ;  but  in  the  fiord  there  is 
also  a  ten-fathom  bar  which  affords  fair  holding  ground. 
To  prevent  dragging,  the  anchor  should  be  dropped  to 
the  southward  and  westward  of  the  bar,  which  is  located 
about  half  a  mile  np  the  fiord  from  the  town. 

Landing  our  crazy  Esquimau,  we  departed  from  Uper- 
navik  at  six  P.  m.,  and  stood  out  towards  Disco,  scraping 
one  of  the  islands  as  we  passed.  The  Bear  kept  in  mid- 
channel,  where  there  is  water  enough,  and  did  not  touch. 
The  better  passage  going  south  is  between  the  islands 
and  the  main  toward  the  south  or  southwest ;  and  con- 
trariwise, going  north,  the  proper  way  is  along  shore  to- 
wards the  north  and  westward,  avoiding  the  channel  be- 
tween the  little  islands  just  off  the  harbor,  unless  the 
vessel  is  kept  straight  in  mid-channel. 

The  water  was  now  entirely  open  and  clear,  and  we 
did  not  encounter  any  ice  from  Upernavik  to  St.  John's, 
saving  the  bergs,  to  be  sure,  which  were  numerous ;  but 
as  it  was  constant  daylight,  these  occasioned  us  no  trou- 
ble. We  celebrated  the  Fourth  of  July  at  sea  with  a 
capital  dinner,  but  in  a  miserable  snow  and  hail-storm. 
The  next  morning  we  arrived  at  Lievely,  God-Haven. 
Disco  Island  was  clad  in  its  summer  garb  ;  the  ice  had 
left  its  harbor,  the  snow  had  melted  from  its  hills,  and 
the  mountain  sides  were  rich  with  purple  flowers  and 
green  mosses.  All  the  inhabitants  were  out  sunning 
themselves,  and  the  kyack  men  flocked  like  ducks  around 
the  ship  trucking  their  articles  of  trade.  I  purchased  a 
full-size  kyack  and  some  eider  quilts  and  clothing. 

The  body  of  Frederic  Christiansen,  the  courageous  Es- 
quimau of  Greely's  party,  was  here  placed  in  a  coffin 
covered  with  blue  cloth  and  bearing  a  brass  name-plate. 
At  two  P.  M.  the  officers  and  crews  of  the  other  vessels 


THE  RETURN   VOYAGE.  467 

came  alongside  of  the  Bear,  and  the  coffin,  guarded  by- 
four  pall-bearers,  was  towed  ashore  in  one  of  the  cutters 
to  the  little  landing-place,  where  the  inspector,  the  gov- 
ernor, and  most  of  the  natives  were  congregated  to  re- 
ceive it.  A  salute  having  been  fired  from  the  three-gun 
battery,  the  coffin,  now  covered  with  the  American  Jack, 
was  laid  upon  a  bier  that  had  been  made  on  board  the 
Bear ;  and  the  poor  Esquimaux  buried  it  beneath  crosses 
and  wreaths  of  wild-flowers  and  blue  heather  gathered 
from  their  native  hills.  The  cortSge  then  advanced  in 
military  order  to  the  little  church,  where  the  body  was 
placed  in  front  of  the  chancel,  and  the  inspector  made  a 
clever  address  in  English.  He  received  from  the  hands 
of  the  American  Government  the  body  of  the  faithful 
Esquimau,  who,  he  said,  had  nobly  died  doing  his  duty 
by  the  people  whom  he  had  engaged  to  serve,  and  whose 
memory,  he  knew,  would  live  on  and  be  kept  green  by 
the  good  feeling  of  the  two  governments.  The  governor 
next  addressed  the  natives  in  a  similar  vein  in  their  own 
tongue,  after  which  the  Lutheran  Church  service  was 
conducted  by  a  native  preacher,  the  Esquimaux  congre- 
gation singing  a  psalm.  The  body  was  then  carried  to 
the  cemetery  and  interred  with  military  honors. 

That  same  morning  poor  Ellison  died,  and  his  remains 
were  bandaged  and  placed  like  the  others  in  an  alcohol 
tank  for  conveyance  to  the  United  States. 

Here  the  machinery  of  the  Alert  met  with  an  accident, 
slight,  but  in  one  of  its  vital  parts,  which  detained  us  sev- 
eral days,  but  meanwhile  we  coaled  our  ships  and  got 
ready  for  the  passage  to  St.  John's.  We  found  excellent 
cod-fishing  in  the  harbor,  and  from  the  number  caught  I 
should  think  that  the  villagers,  if  diligent,  could  capture 
a  sufficient  food  supply  for  their  support  from  the  sea 
alone.  The  kyack  men  brought  many  fine  large  salmon- 
trout  for  sale,  that  had  been  taken  from  the  cool  water 
at  the  glaciers.     They  were  a  splendid  fish,  weighing 


468  THE   GREELY  RELIEF  EXPEDITION. 

from  two  to  four  pounds,  spotted  and  beautifully  marked, 
with  flesh  of  a  bright -red  salmon  color.  The  head  is 
sharp,  with  a  protruding  lower  jaw,  and  altogether  the 
fish  has  the  appearance  of  being  very  choice  game  to 
take. 

We  cleared  from  Disco  on  the  morning  of  July  9th ; 
and  there  were  doubtless  some  among  us  who  with  pleas- 
ure bade  a  final  farewell  to  "  Greenland's  icy  moun- 
tains." I  did  not ;  but,  quite  otherwise,  felt  a  strong 
reluctance  at  leaving  this  land  of  wonders,  which,  long 
before  the  time  of  Columbus,  was  visited  by  the  Norse- 
men, and  which  ever  since  has  continued  a  land  of  ad- 
venture and  conjecture  ;  and  I  hope  sincerely  it  will  not 
be  the  last  time  I  shall  see  its  ice-crowned  peaks  or  green 
and  purple  valleys.  There  is  still  a  great  and  important 
work  to  be  done  in  studying  the  glaciers  of  Melville  Bay 
and  North  Greenland,  —  the  former  having  never  been 
charted  or  even  surveyed  except  from  a  distance  —  and 
exploring  the  Terra  Incognita  from  Lockwood's  farthest 
down  the  east  coast  of  Greenland  to  the  highest  point 
attained  by  the  German  expedition  under  Koldeway. 

There  was  nothing  eventful  in  our  passage  to  St. 
John's.  We  experienced  no  extraordinary  wind  or  sea  — 
nothing  but  thick  foggy  weather,  which  rendered  our  en- 
trance to  the  harbor  a  difficult  one.  There  we  arrived, 
however,  on  the  morning  of  July  17th,  and  instantly  the 
telegraph  announced  to  the  civilized  world  the  return  of 
our  expedition  with  the  dead  and  living  of  Greely's  com- 
mand. 

It  now  became  necessary  for  the  proper  preservation 
of  the  remains  that  they  be  placed  in  hermetically-sealed 
metallic  coffins,  but  such  as  we  wished  could  not  be  pro- 
cured at  St.  John's.  This  contingency  had  been  fore- 
seen, and  drawings  for  the  casting  and  proper  fitting  of 
cast-iron  caskets  had  been  prepared  on  board  ship  ;  but  as 
the  foundry  and  machine  facilities  at  St.  John's  were  in- 


THE  RETURN  VOYAGE.  469 

adequate  to  perform  the  work  in  time,  caskets  were  made 
of  one-tenth  inch  boiler-iron  riveted  to  angle-iron  frame- 
work with  lids  bolted  on.  They  were  thus  neat,  light, 
serviceable,  and  perfectly  air-tight,  and  to  each  one  six 
polished  handles  were  attached  for  convenience  in  trans- 
portation, and  a  silver  plate  was  fixed  on  each  casket 
inscribed  with  the  name  of  the  corpse  and  the  date  of 
death.  When  the  bodies  were  removed  from  the  alcohol 
tanks,  particular  care  was  taken  to  identify  them,  and 
each  number,  which  was  stamped  on  a  tin  tag  and  fas- 
tened to  the  remains,  was  buried  with  it.  Hence  no  mis- 
take could  possibly  have  been  made. 

And  here  it  may  be  of  interest  to  record  the  names  of 
the  party,  with  the  death  dates  of  the  poor  victims  :  — 

Sergeant  Wm.  H.  Cross,  general  service;  died  Jan.  18,  1884. 

Frederic  Christiansen,  Esquimau,  ' 

Sergeant  David  Lynn,  general  service,  ' 

1st  Lieut.  Jas.  B.  Lockwood,  23d  Infantry,  ' 

Sergeant  Geo.  W.  Rice,  special  service,  ' 

Jans  Edwards,  Esquimau  (drowned),  ' 

Sergeant  W.  F.  Jewell,  special  service,  ' 

Private  Wm.  A.  Ellis,  2d  Cavalry, 

"       Wm.  Whistler,  9th  Infantry,  « 
Sergeant  David  Ralston,  special  service, 

"  Edward  Israel,  "  ' 
1st  Lieut.  Fred.  F.  Kislingbury,  11th  Infan- 
try, « 
Corporal  Nicholas  Sailer,  2d  Cavalry,  ' 
Surgeon  Octave  Pavy,  ' 
Private  Chas.  B.  Henry,  oth  Cavalry,  ' 

"       Jacob  Bender,  9th  Infantry,  ' 

Sergeant  H.  S.  Gardiner,  special  service,  ' 
Private  R.  K.  Snyder,  1st  Artillery, 

Sergeant  Joseph  Ellison,  10th  Infantry,  ' 
(On  board  the  Bear  at  Disco.) 


April 

4, 

« 

6, 

u 

9, 

u 

9, 

a 

10, 

i. 

12, 

May 

19, 

u 

21, 

H 

22, 

U 

27, 

lune 

1, 

u 

2, 

u 

6, 

It 

6, 

a 

6, 

« 

12, 

it 

19, 

Inly 

7, 

470  THE   GREELY  RELIEF  EXPEDITION. 

The  survivors  are  :  — 

1st  Lieut.  A.  "W.  Greely,  5th  Cavalry ; 
Sergeants  Brainerd,  Fredericks,  and  Long  ; 
Hospital  Steward  Biderbeck ; 
Private  Maurice  Connell. 

The  scientific  value  of  the  work  accomplished  by  these 
men,  living  and  dead,  can  only  be  estimated  after  their 
observations  have  been  compiled  and  computed,  com- 
pared and  applied  —  all  of  which  will  involve  years  of 
patient  toil. 

We  left  St.  John's  July  26th  for  Portsmouth,  N.  H., 
where  we  arrived  August  1st,  and  where  the  cruise  of 
our  rescue  ships  virtually  ended. 

We  were  received  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  and 
the  entire  North  Atlantic  fleet  and  practice  squadron ; 
and  the  inhabitants  of  Portsmouth  tendered  us  a  royal 
welcome.  Here  we  transferred  Greely  and  his  command 
to  the  care  of  the  Navy  Yard,  but  afterward  the  bodies 
of  the  dead  were  returned  to  us  for  delivery  to  General 
W.  S.  Hancock  at  Governor's  Island,  New  York  Harbor. 

Sailing  then  from  Portsmouth  on  the  morning  of  Au- 
gust 5th,  we  reached  New  York  on  the  morning  of  the 
9th  and  discharged  our  last  expeditionary  duty  in  surren- 
dering the  remains  of  the  heroic  dead  into  the  tender 
custody  of  their  comrades  of  the  army. 


A  PROPOSED   METHOD 


REACHING  THE  NORTH  POLE. 


'  Let  the  stately  Polar  bears 
Waltz  around  the  Pole  in  pairs, 
And  the  walrus,  in  his  glee, 
Bare  his  tusk  of  ivory; 
While  the  bold  sea-unicorn 
Calmly  takes  an  extra  horn  ; 
All  ye  Polar  skies,  reveal  your 
Very  rarest  of  parhelia ; 
Trip  it.  all  ye  merry  dancers 
In  the  airiest  of  '  Lancers ; ' 
Slide,  ye  solemn  glaciers,  slide, 
One  inch  further  to  the  tide, 
Nor  in  rash  precipitation 
Upset  Tyndall's  calculation. 
Know  you  not  what  fate  awaits  you, 
Or  to  whom  the  future  mates  you  ? 
All  ye  icebergs  make  salaam,  — 
You  belong  to  Uncle  Sam!  " 

Beet  Haete. 


Without  entering  into  the  question  of  the  utility  of 
Polar  exploration,  which  has  been  so  thoroughly  dis- 
cussed by  the  scientific  societies  of  the  world,  and  uni- 
versally passed  upon  by  press  and  people  with  widely 
different  results,  I  will  state  at  once  my  theory  of  the 
proper  means  and  way  of  reaching*the  North  Pole. 

Many  modes  of  travel  have  been  proposed,  —  by  ship, 
balloon,  dog  and  deer-sleds,  and  by  boat,  not  to  dwell 
upon  a  variety  of  submarine  vessels,  which,  in  fancy,  are 


472      A   METHOD  FOR  REACHING   THE  POLE. 

made  to  dive  beneath  the  ice  in  an  easy-going  manner, 
and  reappear  in  open  places  to  blow  like  whales  or  wal- 
rus, —  but  the  detailed  plans  of  which  I  have  never  had 
the  pleasure  of  seeing.  With  all  of  our  modern  appli- 
ances, we  have  been  able  to  make  no  further  "  northing  " 
than  did  the  old  Dutch  navigators  three  hundred  years 
ago,  for  the  approach  to  the  Pole  has  been  steadily 
barred  in  about  the  same  latitude.  This  is  not  because 
our  means  or  men  are  faulty  or  less  fearless,  but  simply 
because  that  impenetrable  ice-barrier,  against  which  so 
many  stout  hearts  have  forced  their  ships  in  vain,  floats, 
as  it  will  forever,  between  the  Arctic  explorer  and  his 
goal.  Vessels  cannot  go  through  it  or  around  it,  and 
were  the  power  of  all  the  steamships  in  the  world  con- 
centrated in  one  ship,  it  could  not  push  the  ice  aside  and 
make  the  passage  to  the  Pole.  Nor  is  it  probable  that 
any  ship  or  other  locomotive  machine  will  be  devised  to 
cross  over  the  ice. 

I  have  heard  considerable  talk  of  the  proper  shape, 
strength,  and  material  of  which  Polar  cruisers  should  be 
built,  chiefly  from  people  who  have  never  been  in  the  ice 
of  the  Arctic  seas,  and  who  have  a  very  faint  idea  of  the 
flotative  capacity  of  bodies.  A  moment's  reflection,  and 
it  will  occur  to  every  one  that,  for  a  body  to  float  at  all, 
its  specific  gravity  must  be  less  than  that  of  water  ;  and 
that,  to  resist  the  crushing  strain  of  ice,  it  must  be  more 
tenacious  and  solid  than  ice.  And  here  the  problem  pre- 
sents itself, — could  a  vessel  of  such  construction  (lighter 
than  ice)  withstand  the  enormous  pressure  ?  I  think 
not,  even  though  it  were  "  built  in  solid." 

II. 

Suppose  a  ship  constructed  in  the  shape  of  a  parabolic 
spindle,  its  greatest  transverse  diameter  thirty  feet,  and 
its  length,  say  two  hundred  feet.  This  would  give  a 
body  of  fine  lines,  good  rising  power,  if  nipped  below  its 


A   METHOD  FOR  REACHING   THE  POLE.      473 

greatest  diameter,  and  for  speed  and  strength  be  an  ac- 
knowledged model.  Now  build  this  spindle  solid,  —  that 
is,  without  an  inner  hold  wherein  to  store  men  or  pro- 
visions,—  and  of  buoyant  material,  hooping  it  like  a  mast 
with  iron  or  steel  bands  so  arranged  with  reference  to 
number  and  weight  that  the  spindle  will  float  in  the  man- 
ner of  ice,  or  about  one  eighth  part  above  water.  Yet 
even  this  pattern  of  strength  would  be  an  egg-shell  in  the 
power  of  the  mighty  moving  masses  of  ice,  never  at  rest, 
but  always  grinding  like  the  everlasting  gods,  and  grind- 
ing exceeding  fine  even  the  granite  hills  and  islands. 

From  various  causes  there  is  a  constant  drift  of  all  free 
floating  bodies  from  the  Poles  towards  the  Equator.  In 
the  Antartic  Ocean,  we  find  a  constant  procession  of  ma- 
jestic bergs  drifting  north,  until  they  are  dissolved  by 
the  warm  current  that  sets  to  the  southeast  from  the 
Equator,  the  counterpart,  though  in  the  opposite  direc- 
tion, of  the  Gulf  Stream,  which  forces  its  way  to  the 
northward  and  eastward. 

Whether  the  cause  may  be  the  inflowing  warm  cur- 
rents forcing  the  ice  from  the  Poles  towards  the  Equator, 
or  the  centrifugal  force  that  influences  loose  objects  on 
the  surface  of  a  sphere  rotating  on  its  axis,  to  which  was 
originally  attributed  the  flattening  of  the  earth  at  the 
Poles,  I  will  not  attempt  to  decide.  It  is  sufficient  for  us 
to  know  that  such  is  the  fact ;  that  the  ice  of  the  Polar 
regions  is  continually  being  carried  towards  the  Equator, 
winter  and  summer,  though  much  more  rapidly  in  sum- 
mer time,  and  that  it  moves  much  faster  on  the  outskirts 
of  the  Polar  ice  -  fields  than  at  the  Poles.  Within  the 
latitudes  of  70°  and  80°  N.  we  find  the  southerly  drift 
swifter,  because  of  the  loose  condition  of  the  ice  to  the 
southward,  than  we  might  be  led  to  expect  it  would  be 
at  85°  or  90°  N. ;  and  here  arises  a  question  on  which,  to 
a  great  extent,  will  depend  the  practicability  of  reaching 
the  Pole.  If  my  premises  are  right,  there  can  be  no 
doubt  of  my  ability  to  do  so. 


474      A   METHOD  FOR  REACHING   THE  POLE. 

The  flattening  of  the  earth  at  the  Poles  is  admitted 
by  all  scientists,  and  from  the  formation  of  the  earth, 
and  by  meteorological  observations  taken  near  the  Poles, 
a  lower  barometric  pressure  is  universally  conceded. 
Whether  this  partial  vacuum  is  caused  by  the  rotation 
of  the  earth  on  its  axis  causing  the  currents  of  air  to  rise 
from  the  shoulders  of  this  earth,  tangent  to  the  earth's 
surface  (which,  in  truth,  is  an  ellipsoid  instead  of  a 
sphere),  still  remains  a  mooted  question  among  the 
scientists  of  the  world,  and  is  one  of  the  problems  of 
which  we  hope  to  find  a  solution  by  reaching  the  Pole. 
Enough  for  my  premises  to  know  that  these  axioms  are 
fully  established. 

The  ice-cap,  then,  that  covers  the  earth's  surface  at  the 
Pole  is  held  in  place  by  the  projecting  islands  which 
doubtless  extend  directly  to  the  Pole,  for  in  the  history 
of  Polar  exploration  each  successive  advance  to  the  north 
has  revealed  new  islands  extending  in  small  groups  or 
chains  towards  the  Pole  ;  and  the  evidence  of  all  Arctic 
explorers  has  been  that  they  saw  sea-birds  and  water- 
fowl still  winging  their  northward  flight,  presumably  to- 
wards the  yet  undiscovered  islands  dotting  the  path  to 
the  Pole,  there  to  breed  in  quietness  and  safety  on  the 
land  as  yet  untrodden  by  the  foot  of  man.  This  nucleus 
of  pointed  island  peaks,  if  nothing  more,  will  hold  the  ice 
fast  at  the  Pole  ;  and  if  we  have  the  partial  vacuum  cov- 
ering the  flattened  portion  of  the  earth's  surface  around 
the  Pole,  and  the  air  currents  swirling  in  space  above  it, 
we  should  consequently  have  all  the  air  motion  above 
the  earth's  surface,  and  a  comparative  calm  on  the  sur- 
face itself.  Or,  in  other  words,  we  would  not  have  the 
gales  necessary  to  drive  the  ice  towards  either  outlet, 
and  as  the  centrifugal  influence  is  acting  equally  in 
all  directions,  and  tending  to  pull  the  ice-cap  towards 
the  Equator,  it  can  only  carry  away  those  detached  por- 
tions of  ice  broken  near  the  outskirts  of  the  ice-cap ;  or, 


A   METHOD  FOR  REACHING   THE  POLE.     475 

say,  that  portion  that  lies  to  the  southward  of  about  85° 
N.  latitude,  where  we  find  the  southerly  drift  almost  too 
rapid  to  march  upon  with  any  prospect  of  reaching  the 
Pole.  But  after  crossing  the  eighty-fifth  degree  of  lati- 
tude, if  my  premises  are  right,  the  traveler  will  come  to 
that  immovable  ice-cap  which  will,  in  all  probability, 
prove  to  be  a  paleocrystic  sea  of  ice  and  snow.  If  so, 
instead  of  having  the  terrible  chaotic  mass  of  ice  de- 
scribed by  Commander  Markham  and  Sir  George  Nares, 
we  should  have  a  clear  unbroken  surface  to  travel  upon, 
subject,  of  course,  to  fissures  and  shrinkage  cracks.  In- 
deed, the  very  fact  that  the  sea  of  ice  traversed  by  Mark- 
ham  was  broken  and  chaotic  is  conclusive  proof,  to  my 
mind,  that  it  was  in  motion  and  moving  out,  and  by  no 
means  paleocrystic. 

Having  reached  the  firm  ice-cap  which  covers  the  earth 
to  the  north  of  85°,  the  travel  will  be  smooth  and  easy, 
and  the  traveler  will  not  be  carried  south  by  the  current 
faster  than  he  can  travel  north. 

I  therefore  consider  it  impossible  to  construct  a  float- 
ing body  which  will  be  able  to  resist  the  tremendous 
strain  of  the  Polar  ice-packs.  It  might  not  be  crushed 
for  weeks  or  months,  but  then  the  contingency  might 
arise,  on  the  first  day  it  entered  the  pack,  that  two  floes 
would  close  upon  and  overwhelm  it  like  an  almond  in 
the  jaws  of  a  nut-cracker.  For  the  wonderful  potency 
of  these  floes  is  incredible,  and  can  only  be  calculated  in 
millions  of  tons,  or  rather  square  miles,  of  ice,  averaging 
twenty-five  feet  in  thickness,  or  forty  feet,  where  the 
usual  winter's  growth  of  ten  or  twelve  feet  is  rolled  up 
into  hummocks  —  and  I  need  not  mention  the  colossal 
floe-bergs  one  hundred  or  more  feet  in  height.  Telescop- 
ing and  piling  up,  these  vast  masses  form  the  great  gorges 
which  only  the  hydraulic  power  of  nature  can  move. 
And  this  is  forever  occurring,  in  all  seasons  of  the  year, 
though  faster  in  some  than  in  others ;  and  the  countless 


476     A   METHOD  FOR  REACHING   THE  POLE. 

million  square  miles  of  ice  annually  expelled  from  the 
Arctic  Ocean  through  the  three  great  outlets,  —  between 
Nova  Zembla  and  Spitzbergen,  between  Spitzbergen  and 
the  east  coast  of  Greenland,  and  the  course  through  Baf- 
fin's Bay,  —  alone  prove  the  fallacy  of  a  "  paleocrystic  sea 
of  ice." 

ill. 

Did  such  a  thing  as  a  "  paleocrystic  sea  of  ice  "  ac- 
tually exist,  the  task  of  reaching  the  North  Pole  would 
be  one  of  comparatively  easy  accomplishment ;  for  in  win- 
ter a  smooth,  hard-beaten  surface  of  snow  would  invite 
the  traveler,  and  in  summer  a  glassy  surface  of  ice,  and 
at  either  time  depots  of  supplies  could  be  laid  out  at  con- 
venient distances,  as  proposed  by  many  clear -thinking 
persons,  or  Howgate's  colony  system  be  adopted.  But,  as 
it  is,  when  we  leave  the  land,  both  plans  are  impracti- 
cable ;  for  if  we  make  a  depot  of  supplies  on  the  ice  to- 
day, it  is  gone  to-morrow  —  snowed  under,  overrun,  or 
drifted  out  of  position.  The  whole  appearance  of  a  pack 
may  be  changed  in  a  day,  or  it  may  be  so  uniform  that  a 
definite  location  cannot  be  made.  During  the  month  of 
October,  1879,  the  Jeannette  broke  out  of  her  ice-bed, 
and  was  whirled  along  an  open  lead  for  a  few  horn's. 
We  left  a  canvas  structure  on  the  floe,  under  the  lee  of 
a  hummock,  and  for  nearly  a  year  and  a  half  we  looked 
for  it  unavailingly,  albeit  the  ship  had  moved  but  a  few 
miles.  Finally  it  was  discovered  by  one  of  our  Indians, 
who  returned  to  tell  us,  one  day,  in  a  state  of  trepida- 
tion, that  he  had  found  a  "  two-man  house,"  for  he  really 
failed  to  recognize  the  spot  alongside  of  which  we  had 
lain  for  a  month.  Similarly,  on  the  evening  of  the  same 
day  the  ship  broke  loose,  Alexia  shot  and  killed  a  bear, 
which,  despite  our  constant  endeavors,  was  never  found ; 
for  in  all  this  while  the  entire  ice-pack  had  drifted  nearly 
five  hundred  miles  into  the  northwest,  and  had  swung 
around  in  a  zigzag  course  more  than  one  thousand  miles. 


CIRCUMPOLAR    MAP    SHOWING    MELVILLE'S    PROPO 

HIGHEST    POINTS 


A   METHOD  FOR   REACHING    THE  POLE.      477 

And  so  I  iterate  that  depots  made  upon  the  ice  are 
fugitive  and  utterly  unreliable. 

IV. 

By  observing,  however,  the  drift  and  discharge  of  the 
ice,  it  may  be  possible  to  make  good  use  of  it  on  the  re- 
treat if  not  on  the  advance.  The  southerly  ice-drift  is 
well  known,  —  down  through  Baffin's  Bay  and  between 
Spitzbergen  and  Greenland.  It  was  against  this  latter 
current  that  the  gallant  Parry  marched  so  persistently 
for  weeks,  only  to  be  thrown  back  upon  his  ship  at  the 
northern  point  of  Spitzbergen. 

The  drift  between  Nova  Zembla  and  Spitzbergen,  al- 
though not  so  well  traced  as  the  others,  has  yet  been  sat- 
isfactorily observed  along  the  east  coast  of  the  latter 
island,  which  is  almost  inaccessible  because  of  the  huge 
masses  of  ice  heaped  upon  its  shores,  and  the  drift-wood 
which  for  ages  has  been  accumulating  from  the  great  Si- 
berian rivers.  This  drift  continues  down  between  the 
southern  end  of  Spitzbergen  and  Bear  Island,  where  a 
shoal  has  grown  from  the  dropping  of  the  stones  and  dirt 
from  the  floes  as  they  jam  and  grind  along.  A  study  of 
the  current  charts  of  the  Arctic  Ocean,  and  the  course  in 
which  the  Jeannette  drifted  for  twenty-two  months,  as 
well  as  the  last  drift  of  the  Thegetoff,  when  she  brought 
up  on  the  island  of  Wilczek,  to  the  southward  of  Franz 
Josef  Land  (all  of  which  territory  was  discovered  and 
charted  by  the  two  most  determined  and  heroic  explorers, 
Weyprechtand  Payer),  —  a  study  of  these  charts  will 
show  that  had  the  Jeannette  held  together,  she  doubtless 
would  have  drifted  out  into  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  either  to 
the  southward  of  Franz  Josef  Land  and  along  the  east 
coast  of  Spitzbergen,  passing  safely  out,  or  else  being 
crushed  and  cast  upon  the  shore  along  with  other  drift- 
wood ;  or,  rounding  the  north  end  of  Franz  Josef  Land, 
she  would  have  drifted  down  with  the  familiar  current 
between  Spitzbergen  and  Greenland. 


478     A   METHOD  FOR   REACHING    THE  POLE. 


The  northeast  coast  of  Greenland  has  never  been  ex- 
plored, and  but  little  is  known  of  the  currents  along  its 
face.  Nor  has  any  considerable  amount  of  drift-wood 
ever  been  seen  floating  from  the  coast  of  Siberia  on  the 
current  which  runs  south  along  the  shores  of  Greenland, 
or  on  the  current  which  impinges  against  the  northern 
coast  of  Spitzbergen.  Here,  then,  is  negative  evidence 
that  there  is  no  passage  around  the  northern  end  of  Franz 
Josef  Land,  which  must  consequently  be  a  large  conti- 
nent, or  chain  of  islands  reaching  to,  or  well  up  towards, 
the  Pole. 

In  either  case  this  is  now  the  way  to  the  North  Pole. 
It  has  been  fully  demonstrated  by  Weyprecht  and  Payer 
in  their  ships,  the  Isbiorn  (Ice-bear)  and  ThegetofT,  like- 
wise by  their  escape  in  boats,  and  by  Leigh  Smith's  sub- 
sequent voyages  in  his  summer  yacht,  that  the  southern 
coast  of  Franz  Josef  Land  is  yearly  accessible  by 
steamer,  and  that,  in  case  of  emergency,  retreat  is  easy 
and  sure. 

Now  if  Franz  Josef  Land  extends  to  85°  north  lati- 
tude, the  Pole  is  within  our  reach,  —  if  it  extends  farther 
into  the  north,  so  much  the  better.  A  series  of  depots 
can  be  established  on  the  land  as  far  as  it  goes,  and  a 
march  of  ten  degrees,  that  is,  five  to  the  Pole  and. five 
back,  is  by  no  means  beyond  the  power  of  human  endur- 
ance. Let  the  state  of  the  ice  be  as  it  may,  it  certainly 
can  be  no  worse  than  the  broken  path  over  which  the 
Jeannette's  crew  marched  from  the  point  where  the  ship 
sank  to  the  mouth  of  the  Lena,  a  distance  of  five  hun- 
dred miles,  —  only  one  hundred  miles  less  than  the  pro- 
posed journey  from  85°  north  latitude  to  the  Pole  and 
return. 

All  this,  to  be  sure,  is  upon  the  supposition  that  Franz 
Josef  Land  extends  as  far  north  as  85°.     We  have  no 


A    METHOD  FOR  REACHING    THE  POLE.      479 

positive  assurance  that  this  is  so,  but  it  has  been  explored 
to  about  83°,  and  still  stretched  northward  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  reach,  which,  on  high  ground  and  a  clear  day, 
was  fully  sixty  miles,  or  one  degree  —  say  to  84°. 

So  the  first  work  will  be  to  explore  this  land  to  its 
northern  limit,  and  if  depots  of  supplies  can  be  advanced 
as  far  as  85°  north,  the  feat  of  marching  to  the  Pole  and 
back  will,  I  repeat,  be  easily  practicable. 

VI. 

But  what  would  it  avail  a  man  to  reach  the  Pole  and 
never  return  to  discover  to  the  world  his  success  ?  Hence 
I  say  "  to  the  Pole  and  back"  and  now  emphasize  that 
word  ;  for  thinking  men  no  longer,  if  they  ever  did,  act 
upon  that  reckless  dictum,  —  "  Cut  yourself  off  from  all 
that  is  behind  you;  let  your  retreat  take  care  of  itself." 
And  if  there  are  no  thinking  men  to  undertake  this  haz- 
ardous enterprise,  it  had  better  be  abandoned  altogether, 
else  it  must  surely  come  to  grief. 

Now,  I  clearly  see  my  retreat  on  this  route.  There 
can  be  no  doubt  of  the  escape  of  the  Austrian  expedi- 
tion, or  of  Leigh  Smith's  party,  from  the  south  side  of 
Franz  Josef  Land ;  and,  to  make  doubly  sure  this  line 
of  retreat,  I  would  place  supplies  and  additional  boats  on 
the  Pankratieff  Islands  to  the  southward  of  Cape  Nassau, 
Nova  Zembla,  and  at  Silver  Bay  in  the  western  side  of 
Matotchkin  Strait ;  and  no  boats,  but  food  -  supplies,  at 
South  Goose  Cape,  where  fishing  vessels  go  and  return 
every  year  from  June  to  September,  —  often  as  late  as 
October. 

The  other  route  that  I  would  propose  for  the  retreat 
of  the  party  which  will  essay  to  reach  the  Pole  is  by 
way  of  Spitzbergen,  —  should  the  ice  be  drifting  in  a 
proper  direction,  namely,  to  the  westward,  or  southward 
and  westward.  For,  in  such  an  event,  the  same  current 
which  baffled  Parry's  efforts  will  assist  and  advance  the 


480      A   METHOD  FOR  REACHING   THE  POLE. 

party,  — floating  them  homeward  when  they  lie  down  to 
sleep. 

I  would  station  boats  and  supplies  at  Parry's  Harbor, 
the  northernmost  of  the  Seven  Islands,  which  is  almost 
annually  accessible,  and  can  be  retreated  from  in  boats, 
since  the  current  here  is  continually  setting  to  the  south- 
ward, though  more  swiftly  in  summer  than  in  winter. 
However,  I  would  be  entirely  governed  by  the  state  of 
my  provisions  whether  to  await  the  coming  of  summer, 
or  take  advantage  of  the  winter  drift,  as  did  the  crew  of 
the  Hansa,  the  Germania's  tender,  and  thus  be  ready  to 
take  to  the  boats  in  spring,  or  as  soon  as  I  reached  open 
water.  If  the  ice  moved  too  fast  or  too  slow  to  the  west- 
ward, with  no  "  southing,"  I  would  return  to  the  point 
whence  I  started,  or,  should  Franz  Josef  Land  stretch  far 
into  the  north,  say  to  87°,  I  would  retreat  upon  it. 

vn. 

Concerning  the  depots  of  supplies  at  the  points  desig- 
nated, I  intend  that  they  should  be  actually  placed  there 
—  not  the  mere  promise  of  establishing  them.  For  I 
would  intrust  this  duty  to  intelligent  and  intrepid  officers 
who  would  execute  their  orders  in  the  face  of  all  diffi- 
culties. 

Each  officer,  with  a  small  party,  should  remain  to  guard 
his  depot  from  bears,  and  also  to  secure  a  regular  series 
of  meteorological  observations  in  those  high  latitudes. 
Only  the  two  main  positions,  however,  would  require 
guards,  namely,  the  Pankratieff  Islands,  off  the  coast  of 
Nova  Zembla,  and  the  Seven  Islands  to  the  north  of 
Spitzbergen.  The  ship  will  return  home  after  landing 
the  parties,  which  will  consist  each  of  one  officer  and 
three  men,  provisioned  for  four  years,  and  equipped  with 
house,  sleds,  boats,  instruments,  etc.  When  three  years 
have  elapsed  these  parties  are  to  abandon  their  posts  and 
set  out  for  home  in  boats  provided  for  that  purpose,  leav- 


A   METHOD  FOR  REACHING   THE  POLE.      481 

ing  the  balance  of  their  supplies  and  boats  for  the  use  of 
the  main  marching  party,  in  case  it  should  retreat  that 
way. 

And  likewise  I  would  land  this  main  band,  consisting 
of  one  surgeon,  two  officers,  and  twenty  men,  on  the 
southern  coast  of  Franz  Josef  Land ;  with  house,  sleds, 
boats,  instruments,  and  four  years'  supplies,  including  a 
sufficient  quantity  of  dried  fish  for  dog-food  ;  the  ship  to 
proceed  home  immediately  after  discharging  its  cargo. 

VHI. 

Three  good  teams  of  seven  or  nine  dogs  each  would  be 
of  great  service  in  advancing  supplies  to  the  northern 
border  of  Franz  Josef  Land,  but  the  picked  company  of 
one  officer  and  ten  men  are  to  make  the  grand  march  to 
the  Pole  without  the  aid  of  dogs ;  for  though  it  is  true 
that  when  of  no  other  use  they  are  at  least  good  to  eat, 
and  may  be  regarded  as  so  much  "  meat  on  the  hoof," 
still,  in  my  opinion,  they  are  not  economical  draught  ani- 
mals for  a  party  cut  off  from  its  base  of  supplies. 

It  was  our  experience,  on  the  Jeannette  retreat,  that  a 
dog  exacted  about  one  half  as  much  food  as  a  man,  and 
performed  about  one  quarter  as  much  work.  If  a  con- 
stant supply  of  game  were  assured,  the  offal  would  suf- 
fice for  the  dogs,  and  yet  on  a  long  march  I  question  even 
then  if  they  would  be  an  aid. 

From  the  pack  of  twenty-four  dogs  which  left  the  Jean- 
nette we  mustered  two  good  teams  of  seven  dogs  each, 
and  these  for  the  first  couple  of  weeks  were  of  little  or 
no  use.  Later  on,  under  the  guidance  of  two  seamen 
and  two  natives,  they  worked  fairly  well;  but  from  the 
time  the  ship  was  crushed  until  the  dogs  were  shot  or 
lost,  the  labor  performed  by  them  in  proportion  to  the 
labor  of  the  men,  expressed  in  pounds  of  food  (pemmi- 
can)  consumed,  was  less  than  one  tenth,  —  bearing  in 
mind,  too,  that  four  of  our  largest  men  were  steadily  em- 
ployed in  keeping  the  sleds  upright. 


482      A   METHOD  FOR  REACHING   THE  POLE. 

So,  I  insist,  well -drilled  dogs,  worked  by  competent 
drivers  such  as  I  had  in  Siberia,  would  doubtless  be 
of  considerable  assistance  in  the  transportation  of  sup- 
plies along  the  coast  of  Franz  Josef  Land,  but  on  the 
long  journey  across  the  ice  they  would  simply  embar- 
rass the  party's  progress. 

IX. 

This  is  my  theory  of  reaching  the  North  Pole  —  as  far 
as  I  can  see,  a  certain  and  safe  one,  attended  by  no  sacri- 
fice of  life  or  property,  for  it  will  be  remembered  that 
the  ships  are  to  return  as  soon  as  they  have  unloaded, 
and  that  each  party  is  provided  with  every  possible  means 
of  escape.     To  recapitulate,  then,  I  would  have  — 

Depots  established  at  designated  points,  and  guarded  by 
parties  which  are  to  abandon  their  positions  and  take  care 
of  themselves  at  a  specified  time  ;  and  an  advance  party 
on  Franz  Josef  Land  furnished  with  two  feasible  lines  of 
retreat. 

The  details  of  general  equipment,  sleds,  boats,  food, 
and  the  season  of  year  for  traveling,  I  have  fully  ex- 
amined into,  and  satisfactorily. 

x. 

And,  finally,  I  propose  to  prove  this  theory  of  reaching 
the  North  Pole  by  going  there  myself. 

Geo.  W.  Melville, 

Chief  Engineer  U.  S.  N. 

When  the  report  first  reached  this  country  that  Baron 
Nordenskjold  would  in  the  summer  of  1885  command  a 
South  Polar  expedition  under  the  auspices  of  the  Swed- 
ish Government,  certain  of  Chief  Engineer  Melville's 
friends,  interested  in  the  success  of  his  proposed  expedi- 
tion to  the  North  Pole,  conceived  the  idea  of  simultane- 
ously dispatching  the  two  explorers  on  their  respective 
and  kindred  missions. 


A   METHOD  FOR  REACHING   THE  POLE.         483 

With  this  idea  in  view  the  Editor  opened  a  corre- 
spondence with  the  Baron,  inviting  him  to  briefly  outline 
the  plan  of  his  rumored  enterprise  for  the  pages  of  this 
work.     The  following  reply  was  received  :  — 

"  Stockholm,  April  4,  1884. 
"  Honored  Sir,  —  The   rumor  that  I  propose  to  start  on  a 
South  Polar  expedition  in  the  summer  of  1885  is  not  exact. 

"  I  have  the  greatest  interest  in  Mr.  Geo.  W.  Melville's  (U. 
S.  N.)  new  expedition,  but  it  is,  unfortunately  for  me,  impossi- 
ble to  find  the  time  necessary  for  directly  contributing  to  your 
new  book.     Yours  most  truly, 

"a.  e.  nordenskjold. 
"Melville  Philips,  Esq., 

"  Philadelphia,  N.  America." 


APPENDIX. 


THE    MELVILLE    SLED. 

The  main  advantages  of  the  Melville  sled  over  all  others  for 
Arctic  travel  are  its  great  strength  attained  by  so  little  addi- 
tional weight,  and  the  facility  with  which  it  can  be  packed  and 
will  hold  its  load  securely. 

It  is  impossible  to  build  a  sled  combining  all  the  advantages 
that  a  critical  novice  might  exact  for  Arctic  use  ;  for  although 
weight  will  not  necessarily  give  the  maximum  of  strength,  yet 
the  minimum  of  weight  can  without  doubt  give  the  minimum  of 
strength,  and  one  element  of  weakness  may  destroy  its  total  effi- 
ciency. It  is  only  when  his  sled  breaks  down  that  the  Arctic 
traveler  realizes  how  fatal  it  is  to  rely  upon  this  argument  of  a 
minimum  weight. 

On  the  retreat  from  the  scene  of  the  sinking  of  the  Jeannette, 
every  sled  save  the  three  solid  oaken  ones  was  broken  in  less 
than  a  week,  and  even  these  oaken  sleds  were  many  times  tem- 
porarily disabled  by  the  turning  under  of  the  runners.  This 
was  the  first  indication  of  weakness  in  the  best  sled  ever  used 
for  Arctic  service  (the  McClintock)  ;  and  when  the  cross-bars 
were  firmly  lashed  in  order  to  prevent  the  turning  under  of  the 
runners,  then  the  top-rails,  where  they  were  pierced  by  the 
tenons  of  the  uprights,  were  wrenched  off  or  split  open  from 
mortise  to  mortise.  And  this,  indeed,  proved  to  be  the  weak 
point  of  all  the  McClintock  sleds  on  our  retreat,  and  it  was 
the  repairing  of  them,  so  that  they  could  perform  the  work  un- 
der which  they  had  broken  down,  that  suggested  the  idea  of  the 
"  double-bow  "  and  "  bow-string  "  runner  of  the  Melville  sled. 
Once,  when  the  top-rail  of  a  sled  had  split  open,  a  new  rail 


486 


APPENDIX. 


made  from  part  of  an  oar  was  lashed  next  the  broken  one,  and 
vertical  posts  were  fastened  alongside  of  the  old  posts,  which  in 
turn  were  lashed  together  across  the  top  of  the  load,  and  it  at 
first  seemed  curious  indeed  that  a  broken  sled  should  thus  be 
made  stronger  than  a  whole  one. 

But  the  reason  simply  was  that  we  used  the  vertical  post  for 
a  cantilever,  the  bow-string  of  the  sled  acting  as  a  centre  about 
which  the  lever  turned.  We  likewise  observed  that  the  St. 
Michael's  native  sleds  were  furnished  with  a  top-rail  to  support 
the  uprights,  and  that  these  sleds,  though  old  and  dilapidated 
when  received  on  board,  nevertheless  continued  to  do  a  vast 
deal  of  work,  although,  it  is  true,  the  ship  carpenter  skillfully 
strengthened  them.  After  our  arrival  on  the  Siberian  coast  I 
rode  many  thousand  miles  on  native  sleds  built  upon  the  same 
plan,  but  of  far  inferior  workmanship,  and  their  stoutness  under 
the  .roughest  kind  of  usage  was  most  extraordinary,  for  they 
only  became  disabled  by  the  wearing  through  of  the  lashings  or 
the  unshod  runners. 


16" 


]12" 


14" 


It't. 


u 


Melville   One-Man    Sled. 

Double  bow  and  string  of  hickory.  Shod  with  light  hoop  iron.  Iron  extends  four 
inches  on  top-rail.  One-quarter  inch  iron  rod  passes  through  rear  end  posts.  Cross- 
bearers  lashed  to  runners.  Rails  mortised  and  fastened  with  copper  rivets.  All  super- 
fluous wood  to  be  finished  out  aud  the  sled  varnished. 


APPENDIX.  487 


EQUIPMENT    OF    ARCTIC    EXPEDITIONS. 

In  answer  to  a  request  from  the  Navy  Department,  Chief 
Engineer  Melville  submitted  a  series  of  papers  on  the  fitting 
out  of  the  Greely  Relief  Expedition,  wherein  he  gave  at  length 
his  views  upon  the  proper  equipment  of  Arctic  cruisers.1 


Replying  to  the  first  question,  —  as  to  what  provisions  were 
best  to  lay  in  store,  —  he  says  substantially  as  follows  :  — 

It  is  well  to  recollect  that  the  natural  taste  of  all  prepared 
food  should  be  retained  as  much  as  possible,  and  that  goods  put 
up  in  tin  ca?es  or  canisters  should  be  avoided,  not  only  because 
of  the  poison  imparted  to  them  by  the  lead  in  the  solder  and 
adulterated  tin,  but  also  on  account  of  the  nauseating  gases  gen- 
erated in  the  blackened  cans. 

Soups  should  be  of  the  richest  kind,  —  turtle,  mock-turtle, 
ox-tail,  vegetable,  Philadelphia  pepper-pot,  and  mutton-broth. 
None  of  these,  however,  should  be  the  soup  pure  and  simple  as 
prepared  for  the  market,  but  should  be  the  "  stock  "  of  which 
the  soup  is  made,  stored  in  small  wooden  casks.  Fresh  meats 
and  poultry  of  all  kinds  should  be  cut  in  good  sizes  and  roasted, 
and  then  packed  in  fifty-pound  casks  and  covered  with  hot  lard 
or  refined  gelatine.  The  poultry,  roasted  in  the  usual  manner, 
should  be  split  open  longitudinally,  to  admit  of  closer  stowage. 
Oysters  (fried)  can  be  barreled  in  the  same  way  ;  while  stewed 
oysters  for  pies  (a  favorite  dish  with  the  Jeannette  people)  can 
be  put  up  in  kegs  or  stone  jars. 

Fried  potatoes  —  not  "  Saratoga  chips,"  which  have  all  the 
nutriment  cooked  out  of  them,  but  potatoes  quartered,  and 
underdone  —  can  likewise  be  stored  and  covered  with  hot  lard, 
and  it  will  be  seen  that  this  is  a  convenient  way  of  carrying  the 
lard,  which  can  all  be  used  again.  Boiled  potatoes  witb  their 
"  jackets "  on,  fresh  carrots,  parsnips,  turnips,  etc.,  can  be 
similarly  preserved,  and  eggs  done  up  in  small  packages  and 
covered  with    scalding   lard  will  keep   indefinitely.     Salted  or 

1  The  plans  of  a  model  Arctic  cruiser  designed  by  Mr.  Melville 
while  on  the  Jeannette  have  already  been  published. 


488  APPENDIX. 

spiced  meats  are  a  wholesome  relief  from  fresh  canned  food, 
and  under  this  head  I  would  recommend  sausage  meat,  and  what 
is  known  to  Philadelphians  and  Baltimoreans  as  "  scrappel," 
which  is  simply  head -cheese  mixed  with  a  quantity  of  well- 
boiled  corn  meal  and  buckwheat,  and  which,  fried  like  sausage 
meat,  is  equally  palatable  and  nutritious,  having  all  the  good 
qualities  of  the  erbswurst,  —  a  staple  food  in  the  German  army, 
and  an  article  abundantly  supplied  to  the  Austrian  Arctic  ex- 
pedition. Bologna  sausages,  boiled  eggs,  boiled  hams,  raw 
hams,  and  sides  of  bacon,  should  all  be  packed  in  lard  and 
placed  in  store. 

The  chief  reason  for  cooking  many  of  these  foods  before 
packing  them  is  to  economize  the  fuel  account  of  the  galley. 
It  would  be  well,  for  variety's  sake,  to  lay  in  a  moderate  supply 
of  cooked  corned  beef  (not  salt  beef),  in  tubs.  Clean  pork,  in 
half  barrels,  to  be  cooked  with  beans  or  sauer  kraut,  aud  pig's 
jowl,  in  one  quarter  casks,  would  likewise  be  a  most  welcome 
accession  to  the  ship's  larder.  Oatmeal,  maccaroni,  and  corn 
starch  should  not  be  forgotten,  nor  —  in  the  list  of  compressed 
vegetables  —  beans,  lima  beans,  green  peas,  whole  hominy, 
split  peas,  rice,  and  corn  meal.  But  desiccated  potatoes  should 
be  shunned,  for  on  both  the  Arctic  ships  in  which  I  have 
served,  it  was  impossible  for  the  ingenuity  of  the  cooks  to 
render  them  relishable. 

Fresh  bread  is  a  necessity  once  or  twice  a  day,  and  hence 
first  class  flour  and  good  yeast  are  requisite  ;  but  as  here  again 
the  economy  of  fuel  comes  into  consideration,  a  variety  of  dry 
baked  sugar-cakes  should  be  supplied  in  lieu  of  hard  bread, 
thus  affording  the  crew  a  change  of  diet,  and  an  antiscorbutic  in 
the  shape  of  the  sugar.  Pails  of  peach  and  apple  butter,  pre- 
pared pumpkins  for  pies,  mince-meat  in  tubs,  plum-pudding  in 
jars  or  cans,  —  all  these  are  not  only  toothsome  but  antiscor- 
butic. Pickles  of  every  kind,  including  cabbage,  and  whole 
onions  in  casks  filled  up  with  equal  quantities  of  water  and 
vinegar,  are  an  excellent  provision,  as  we  of  the  Jeannette  had 
cause  to  know.  Nor  should  I  forget  to  enumerate  butter, 
cheese,  and  syrups. 

Tea,  coffee,  and  chocolate  might  be  supplemented  at  dinner 
by  a  half  pint  ration  of  claret,  both  as  an  antiscorbutic  and  a 


o  X 
o    01 

-  fe 


*  -•■! 


a  3 


APPENDIX.  489 

most  agreeable  addition  to  the  bill  of  fare.  Lime  juice  comes 
properly  under  the  head  of  medicines,  but  when  mixed  with 
sugar  and  water  it  also  becomes  a  pleasant  beverage.  I  can- 
not advise  spirits  or  wines  of  high  alcoholic  standard,  yet  I  do 
know  that,  on  the  Jeannette,  when  each  officer  and  man  was 
given  about  three  ounces  of  sherry  wine  with  his  dinner,  it 
seemed  more  palatable,  and  the  company  became  brighter,  con- 
versation was  more  sprightly,  and  general  good-humor  prevailed 
in  the  place  of  silence  and  gloom.  On  Wednesday  evenings 
two  ounces  of  American  whiskey,  with  sugar  and  candied  lemon 
peel  for  punch,  were  handed  round  to  officers  and  men,  enliven- 
ing all,  and  that  day  became  the  red-letter  one  of  the  week. 
There  was  not  enough  alcohol  in  the  allowance  to  enervate  us, 
while  the  capital  effect  in  manner,  speech,  and  good-fellowship 
would  be  noticeable  for  days. 

Sauces  of  every  description  should  be  supplied  in  liberal 
quantities,  to  make  as  tempting  as  possible  the  food,  whose 
sameness,  though  daily  changed,  will  surely  and  quickly  pall 
upon  the  crew. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  substantial  and  nutritious  food  is  the 
kind  required,  and  that  persons  whose  habits  have  been  such 
that  they  cannot  digest  it  are  unfit  for  Arctic  work.  So  that 
while  preparing  food  for  the  Arctic  voyager,  the  voyager  him- 
self should  be  selected  to  suit  the  food.  A  diet  of  cream-puffs 
and  marmalade  would  not  yield  the  stamina  and  bodily  heat 
required  for  life  in  high  latitudes. 

II. 

And  as  to  the  query,  —  "  What  quantity  of  each  kind  of  food 
will  be  needed  per  day  for  each  man  ?  " 

It  will  be  a  variable  quantity,  dependent  upon  the  quality. 
Then,  too,  the  stomach,  for  comfort,  exacts  distention  as  well  as 
nourishment. 

While  on  the  retreat  after  the  Jeannette  went  down,  our 
rations  were  one  pound  and  a  quarter  of  pemmican,  half  a 
pound  of  hard  bread,  beef  tea,  sugar,  and  tea  or  coffee,  making 
in  all  about  two  pounds  of  food  per  man  ;  and  we  found  the  al- 
lowance ample.  Some  of  us  experienced  at  times  a  sense  of 
repletion,  others   could  have  eaten  more,  but  the  question  is, 


490  APPENDIX. 

could  they  have  assimilated  it  ?  I  think  not ;  for  though  we 
trained  down  to  rather  light  weights,  it  must  be  borne  in  mind 
that  the  work  we  were  performing  demanded  an  exhaustive  ex- 
penditure of  strength.  Therefore,  it  is  my  opinion  that  on  the 
march  a  ration  of  two  pounds  would  be  plenty,  providing  it  con- 
sists of  hard  bread  and  pemmican.  On  board  ship,  however, 
each  man  should  be  given  about  four  pounds  of  all  kinds  of 
food.  De  Long's  provision  book  shows  as  large  rations  as  seven 
and  a  quarter  pounds  ;  but  then  the  greater  part  of  this  food 
was  not  eaten,  because  of  its  disagreeable  taste  and  odor. 

By  four  pounds  of  food  I  mean  solid  food,  as  served  on  the 
table,  including  condiments,  —  not  as  it  is  issued  from  the  store- 
room. 

in. 

"  As  to  variety."  —  The  greater  the  better.  It  cannot  reach 
too  wide  a  range,  and  should  only  be  limited  by  the  storage 
capacity  of  the  ship. 

IV. 

"  As  to  the  best  manner  of  packing  the  provisions."  —  I  have 
proposed  wooden  casks  of  different  sizes  bound  with  iron  bands, 
and  they  should  of  course  be  air-tight,  thoroughly  cleaned,  and 
coated  with  refined  glue. 

Glass  and  stone  jars  are  too  fragile  and  heavy  ;  whereas  the 
wooden  casks,  when  emptied  of  their  contents,  may  be  used  for 
fuel.  Such  provisions  as  are  free  of  acids  or  alkalies  can  for 
convenience  be  packed  in  tin  cans,  —  which,  however,  should  be 
made  of  and  sealed  with  pure  tin,  since  it  is  a  well-known  fact 
that  a  single  duck-shot  dissolved  in  a  bottle  of  claret  may  have 
as  deadly  an  effect  upon  the  human  body  as  when  fired  from  a 
gun. 

All  casks  and  packages  should  be  made  with  an  air-space,  so 
that  they  will  float  if  cast  into  the  sea.  This  can  be  accom- 
plished by  fitting  a  double  head  upon  one  end  of  each  cask, 
with  an  empty  space  between ;  and  for  ease  in  handling,  a  ring 
should  also  be  attached,  and  no  package  should  exceed  fifty 
pounds  in  weight. 


APPENDIX.  491 


In  answer  to  the  question,  — "  "What  improvements  can  be 
made  in  the  usual  cooking  apparatus  ?  "  —  it  will  be  easier  for 
me  to  state  what  would  not  do  than  what  would. 

Any  cooking-stove  with  a  capacity  for  thirty  or  forty  men 
would  be  better  than  the  galley  (small  navy  pattern)  which  we 
had  on  the  Jeannette.  Two  cooks  in  succession,  whom  we 
shipped  at  San  Francisco,  deserted  their  posts  because  of  it,  at 
least  this  was  their  excuse;  and  only  by  employing  the  pa- 
tience of  a  Chinaman  were  we  enabled  to  use  it  to  the  eud. 

As  I  do  not  know  of  any  particular  make  of  galley  which 
meets  with  my  approval,  I  would  propose  two  large  kitchen 
ranges  set  back  to  back,  and  discharging  their  gases  into  one 
common  flue.  This  arrangement  will  economize  the  consump- 
tion of  fuel,  and  at  the  same  time  offer  two  fire-places,  either 
one  of  which  can  be  used,  or  both  when  necessary.  Water- 
backs  can  moreover  be  utilized  to  great  advantage  to  melt  ice 
or  snow  for  general  purposes. 

These  ranges  would  dispense  with  the  necessity  for  a  sheet- 
iron  baking  oven  ;  yet  if  one  be  desired  I  would  recommend  an 
oven  of  just  sufficient  size  to  bake  the  bread  for  the  ship's  com- 
pany ;  with  one  flue  or  a  pair  of  flues  set  on  top  of  the  galley 
over  one  or  two  of  the  fire-holes,  so  as  to  permit  the  heated 
gases  to  pass  up  and  around  the  oven,  and  be  delivered  into  the 
galley  pipe  through  an  adjustable  flue.  The  bread  oven,  again, 
may  be  used  on  the  berth  deck  as  a  heater. 

VI. 

In  the  matter  of  clothing,  I  would  advise  for  summer  travel,  — 
A  suit  of  red  flannel  underclothes,  woolen  stockings  (first- 
class)  to  reach  above  the  knees ;  heavy  cloth  trousers,  either  fit- 
ting tight  from  the  knees  down,  or  knee-breeches,  so  that  the 
moccasin  legs  will  come  over  them  ;  and  they  should  not  have 
fly-fronts,  but  button  up  squarely  to  keep  out  the  cold,  and  be 
upheld  by  a  waist-belt,  not  too  wide. 

The  moccasins  should  be  oil-tanned  without  hair,  —  what  are 
known  as  "  water-boots,"  with  one  canvas  and  six  inner  soles. 
A  pair  of  blanket  foot-nips   is  necessary,  —  hay  is  sometimes 


492  APPENDIX. 

used,  but  not  always  procurable  ;  and  a  pair  of  rubber  sandals, 
with  toe  and  heel  guards  and  strap  across  the  instep,  will  save 
the  moccasin  soles  in  summer.  These  sandals  should  have  a 
large  diamond  mesh  or  rough  surface,  similar  to  that  of  a  rubber 
door-mat. 

A  blue  flannel  overshirt  with  neckerchief;  a  fur  cap  with 
ear-laps,  a  guard  for  the  back  of  the  neck,  and  an  extensive 
visor  to  protect  the  face  ;  and  a  "  lammie,"  a  short  close-fitting 
cloth  and  lined  coat  coming  to  the  hips,  closed  in  front,  and 
furnished  with  two  breast-pockets,  —  complete  the  outfit. 

To  prevent  taking  cold  when  halting  at  night,  each  man 
should  be  provided  with  a  fur  jacket,  knee-trousers,  and  a  sleep- 
ing-bag, winter  or  summer.  A  sheath  knife  is  indispensable ; 
and  in  a  small  rubber  bag  he  should  also  carry  one  pair  of 
socks,  one  pair  of  foot-nips,1  one  undershirt,  one  pair  of  drawers, 
some  patches  and  sewing  material.  Moreover,  for  general  ser- 
vice, one  jacket  and  a  pair  of  trousers  should  be  kept  in  the 
boat;  and  likewise  an  abundance  of  navy  flannel  for  under- 
clothing. 

On  board  ship  each  person  should  sleep  on  a  double  blanket 
and  have  two  pairs  over  him  ;  on  the  march  a  half-blanket  and 
a  sleeping-bag  will  suffice.  A  tent  is  necessary  for  winter  travel, 
but  in  summer  it  may  be  dispensed  with,  and  the  boat-cover  and 
sail  used  for  shelter  instead. 

1  The  foot-nips  are  made  of  blanket  stuff,  in  the  manner  of  ankle- 
buskins. 


INDEX. 


Abonasshi,  303. 

Achin,  "  Paddy,"  description  of,  207 ;  he 

performs   wonders,  231,  233,  349,    352, 

356. 
Aimee,  373. 

Ajaket,  the  village  of,  236,  316. 
Alanek,  the  riyer,  307,  345-361 ;  the  Tillage, 

356-360. 
Alaska  Fur  Company,  2,  3. 
Albert,  Cape,  415. 

Aldan,  the  river,  376,  377,  384, 385. 
Alert,  the,  presented  to  TJ.  S.   by  British 

Government,  420,  429,  463,  465,  467. 
Aleutian  Group,  the,  2. 
Alexander  III.,  Czar,  receives  us,  410-413  ; 

the  Czarina,  412 ;  Alexander  II.,  410. 
Alexia,  3,  5,  8, 15,  183,  194.  330,  332,  339, 

340,  464,  476. 
Alexoff,  Simeon  300. 
Alock,  Simeon,  348-350,  365. 
Ambler,  Dr.,  investigates  sickness  on  board 

the  Jeannette,  15  ;  his  cordiality,  25,  33, 

61, 194,  199,  332-335,  337. 
Amenack,  426. 
Ames,  Dr.,  451,452,  456. 
Andersen,  Inspector  Alfred,  424,  427,  467. 
Androsouff,  Ivan,  177. 
Androuski,  295  ;  Mrs.  296. 
Anutchin,  Governor-General,  397. 
Aqueton  Pass,  the,  2. 
Archangel,  248,  258,  398. 
Arctic  Expeditions,  equipment  of,  487-492. 
Arctic,  the  whaler,  428-443. 
Arii,  104,  139, 145,  209,  297,  307,  308,  311, 

348,  366. 
Artzibucheff,  the  exile,  258. 
Ash,  ice-pilot,  452. 

Athol,  Cape,  417. 

Aurora,  the  whaler,  429-443. 

Baffin's  Bat,  422,  427,  476,  477 . 

Ballok,  the  hut,  201. 

Balogan,  93 ;  description  of  a,  115-121, 175, 

189 ;  Malinki  Starry,  195. 
Balogan    Americanslci,  at  Jamaveloch,  126, 

141 ;  at  Belun,  168  ;  at  Yakutsk,  272,  280, 

286,  385. 
Barchuck,  205,  365. 
Barkin,  Cape,  orders  to  proceed  to,  62,  73- 

75  ;  in  a  quandary  about,  78-80,  308,  347, 

349,  334,  365. 
Barrow,  Cape,  88,  415. 

Bartlett,  fireman,  79,  102,  127,  128,  168, 
275,  278, 281,  2S3,  291,  298,  312,  315,  324, 
328,  337,  338,  343,  348,  349,  363,  364,  367, 
371,  375,  385,  3S8,  395. 


Bath,  a  remarkable  Russian,  259-261 ;  the 

Yakut  mouth  bath,  196. 
Batter  Arack,  372. 
Bear,  the  steamer,  420-422,  427,  429,  430, 

431,  435,  437 ;  racing,  441-443,  449,  451, 

459,  462,  463,  465-467. 
Bear  Island,  477. 
Behring  Strait,  Jeannette  passes  through, 

4,  251. 
Belcur,  373. 
Belun,  arrival  at  the  village  of,  163,  247, 

286. 
Bennett  Island,  43,  206. 
Bennett,  Jas.  Gordon,  22,  166,  370. 
Berry,  Lieutenant  R.  M.,  367,  374,  380,  382, 

385,  388,  393,  397,  398,  402,  410-412. 
Berry  Islands,  422,  429,  432. 
Bidara,  the,  4. 
Bieshoff,  the   Cossack   Commandant,  first 

meeting  with,  170,  287-294. 
Blacksmith,  the  Little,  251,  395. 
Bones,  a  cache  of,   222  ;    breakfasting  on, 

226. 
Boone,  Colonel,  the  lion-tamer,  407. 
Boos  Byral,  the,  112,  257,  202. 
Borkhia,  363  ;  the  Bay  of,  74,  297,  298,  371, 

372. 
Borkhia,  Little,  93,  312. 
Boyd,  194,  332,  338. 
Brainerd,  Sergeant,  452. 
Brevoort  Island,  450,  451,  459. 
Bride,  a  Yakut,  195. 

Browne,  the,  or  Berry  Islands,  422,  429. 
Buali,Dr.,  the  exile,  237  ;  his  pitiful  story, 

254,  285. 
Bubokoff,  Capt.  Constantine,  277,  281,  283, 

2S6,  315,  338,  339,  351,  377,  385. 
Bukoffski  Moose,  75,  290,  298,  304,  311, 323, 

350,  365,  368. 
Bulcour,  the  hut  where  Nindemann  and 

Noros  were  found,  144,  165,  168,  175,  221, 

228,  229,  288,  364. 
Bulcur,  372. 
Bumagas,  two  precious,  192-194 ;  a  Yakut 

bumaga,  348,  349. 
Buruloch,  the  deer-station,  160,  233,  288, 

289,  363. 
Butter,  a  twenty-pound  drink  of  melted, 

317. 

Cacdska,  278. 

Camp  Clay,  420;  scenes  at,  452-459,  462. 

Capello,  Dr.,  118,  273,  274. 

Capiocan,  106,  107,  310,  311,  328,  337,  342- 

349. 
Carpuff ,  the  Lieutenant  of  Police,  271. 


494 


INDEX. 


Gary  Island?,  445,  449. 

Case  Carta,  187,  2S7,  288-291,  304-323,  336- 

33S,  348,  365. 
Cathedral  of  St.  Isaacs,  the,  410. 
Catherine  of  Russia,  405. 
Chagra,  Nicolai,   the   .Starosti  of   Jamave- 

loch,  110,  114,   128,   138,  294-299;   Mrs. 

Chagra,  123,  265,  303. 
Chambers,  Ensign  W.  J.,  4?2. 
Chandler,  W.  E.,  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 

mutilated  telegram  from,  392,  417-420, 

422,  470. 
Chanker,  354,  355. 
Chipp,  Lieutenant,  5,  8,  17.  30,  41,  44,  46, 

49,  54,  65,  246, 287, 334,  345,  355, 363,  364, 

372,  374,  380,  388,  436. 
Chogen,  322. 
Christian,  Hans,  425. 

Christiansen,  Frederic,  burial  of,  466,  467. 
Chudleigh,  Cape,  419. 
Chul-Boy-IIoy,  308,  309,  365,  366. 
Cocked  Hat  Island,  451. 
Coffins,  Yakut,  366  ;  metallic,  for  the  dead 

of  Greely's  party,  468,  469. 
Cole,  Jack,  14,  25,  68-70,  115,  170,  233,  243, 

273,  275. 
Collins,  Mr.  J.  J.,  194,  199,  332,  338,  344, 

370. 
Colwell,  Jr.  Lieutenant,  452. 
Conger,  Fort,  415,  421,  448. 
Congress,  quarrels  over  appropriation,  419, 

420 ;    §25,000  reward  offered  by  it  for 

news  of  Greelv,  429,  434,  439,  445. 
Conical  Rock,  444,  445,  419,  463. 
Connell,  Private,  456. 
Constantine,  the  steamer,  390,  391. 
Coperts,  253  ;    as    professional    gamblers, 

292,  293,  389. 
Cornwallis,  the  whaler,  429-443. 
Cossack,  247,  281 ;  a  rascally,  368,  376-378. 
Crimea,  the,  254. 
Cronstadt,  the  harbor  of,  413. 
Cross,  Sergeant,  460. 
Crosses,  the  place  of  the  three,  179,  181, 

183. 
Czar,  the  dead,  258. 

Dalrtmple  Rock,  439. 

Danenhower,  Lieutenant,  11,  69,  79,  85, 
95,  137 ;  history  of  the  "  first  organized 
search,"  139,  167,  237.  243,  272,  273;  sets 
out  for  America,  275,  276,  294,  295,  334, 
369,  395. 

Davis  Strait,  444. 

De  Long,  Commander  Geo.  W.,  5,  25,  28, 29, 
33,  37,  40,  41,  43,  49,  50,  57,  59;  last 
talk  with,  62,  63,  64,  65,  129,  156  ; 
tidings  of,  164-168  ;  records  left  by,  193- 
200,  319  :  finding  the  body  of,  331-337, 
342;  burial  of,  343-345,  364,  365,  370; 
transportation  of  remains  to  New  York  by 
Harber  party,  388,  389,  458. 

De  Norpe,  Mr.,  403. 

Devil's  Thumb,  the,  439,  465. 

Diomed  Islands,  the,  4. 

Disco  Island,  422,  425-427,  436,  464-468. 

Distances,  table  of  magnificent,  388,  389. 

Divorce,  the  Yakut  law  of,  361,362. 

Do-boi-dak,  320. 

Dogs,  training,  3<">3. 

Dresler,  A.,  194,  338. 

Duck  Islands,  the,  438. 

Dudley  Digges,  Cape,  444. 


Dunbar,  Mr.,  the  ice-pilot,  5,  8, 16, 17,  20, 

23,  24,  30,  33,  34,  44,  51. 
Dunbar,  Mr.,  an  enterprising  American  at 

Nijni  Novgorod,  407. 
Duropean,  the  river,  364,  365. 
Dwee,  373. 

East  Cape,  4,  251,  367,  374,  380. 

Economy,  an  ignoble,  196. 

Egemende,  426. 

Ekaterinborg,  404,  405 ;  "  Hotel  European- 
ski,"  405. 

Ellison,  Sergeant,  455,  457,  464,  465,  467. 

Emma,  Cape,  44. 

Emory.  Lieutenant,  446. 

Epatchieff.  238,  240,  241,  285-296,  304,  310, 
313,  316,  324. 

Ericksen,  21,  24,  145,  165,  194,  199,  215, 
216,  320,  332,  340,  342. 

Esquimaux,  the  whaler,  463. 

Esquimaux,  the  Etah,  429,  464 ;  at  Saun- 
ders Island,  446;  their  ingenious  sleds, 
447,  448  ;  inconstancy  of  the,  463,  464, 
466,  467. 

Exiles,  facts  about  the  Russian,  247-259, 
269,  276,  374,  400,  401  ;  double-decked 
barges  for,  404,  405 ;  railroad  cages  for, 
406. 

Fairweather,  Captain,  440. 

Feodor,  90,  106. 

Fires,  Yakut  mode  of  starting,  325-327. 

Fishing,    native    manner  of   130,   131 ;    a 

"corner  in  fish,-'  291,292. 
Foulke  Fiord,  462. 
Fourth  of  July,  celebrating  the,  at  sea, 

466. 
Fox-skins,  281. 
Foxes,  little,  the,  353. 
Franklin,  Sir  John,  1. 
Franz  Josef  Land,  477-482. 
Fredericks,  Sergeant,  452,  456. 
Frisia,  the  steamer,  389. 

Garfield,  President,  242. 

Garlington,  Lieutenant,  417,  446,  450,  455. 

Gavirillo,  Bobarouski,  362. 

Geese,  boned,  106,  113  :  hunting,  132. 

Oeordi,  Starry,  356,  357. 

Gilder,  Pay  Clerk  of  the  Rodgers,  350-357, 

367.  368,  377,  385,  397. 
God-Haven,  466. 
Golden  Gate,  the,  2. 
Golivar  compass,  309. 
Good  Hope,  Cape  of,  4. 
Giirtz,  Adolf,  37, 194,  332. 
Gossips,  native,  161,  162. 
Governor's  Island,  470. 
Greely,  Lieutenant  A.  W. ,  414-418, 421,  437, 

445;  Mrs.  Greelv,  445,  449,450,452,453, 

455,461,464,468-470. 
Green,  Dr.  E.  II.,  422,  451,  456,  465. 
Greenland,  6,  468,  476-478. 
Greer,  Captain  Jas.,  of  the  Tigress,  419. 
Grist-mills,  native,  267. 
Gronbeck,  Captain  Joachim,  277,  283-288, 

304,  337,  342,  343,   350,  351,  364,  368, 

389,390,398. 
"  Growler,''  the  Labrador  dog,  death  of,  440. 
Guestnitsa,  the  Hotel,  272. 
Guy,  Captain,  of  the  Arctic,  428,  443. 

Hacklutt  Island,  462. 


INDEX. 


495 


Hancock,  General  W.  S.,  470. 

Harber,   Lieutenant,    369,    373,   385,   387, 

388 
Hare  Island,  427,  428,  436. 
Harlow,  Ensign  C.  U.,  422,  433,  451. 
Hansa,  the,  480. 
Hayes,  Dr.,  462,  464. 
Henrietta  Island,  the  landing  on,  12,  17- 

25. 
Henrv,  Private,  456,  459, 460. 
Herald  Island,  6,  8,  367. 
Hildenberger,  attentive  Mr.,  402. 
Hoffman,  Colonel  Wickhani,  U.  S.  charge 

d:affaires  at  St.  Petersburg,  408. 
Horn,  Cape,  4. 
Horse's  Head,  the,  438. 
Howgate's  colony  system,  476. 
Hunt,  Ensign,  380,388. 
Hunt,  Minister,  276,  409-411. 
Hyde,  the  schooner  Fanny  A.,  3,  4. 

Iberbing,  Joe,  464. 

Ice-cap,  a  Polar,  474,  475. 

Icon,  94,  114,  122,  150,  196. 

Iniguin,  joins  the  Jeaunette,  3,  41,  72,  129  ; 

his  sweetheart,  296. 
Inlet,  Prince  Regent,  439. 
Irjansk,  Lieutenant,  385. 
Irkutsk,  275,  367,  369,  391-399  ;  the  Hotel 

Decco,  392. 
Isabella,  Cape,  458. 
Isibiorn,  the,  478. 
Isverska,  372. 

"  Ivan,"  the  fictitious  friend,  392,  400. 
Iversen,  N.,  105,  194. 

Jackson,  John  P.,  369,  370,  380  ;  "  Dismal 
John,"  381,  3*4,  392,  3J7. 

Jacobshaven,  426. 

Jamavelock,  arrival  at  the  village  of,  109, 
291-307,  347,  366-371. 

Jan  Maven,  the  whaler,  463. 

Jana,  the  river,  246,  251,  264,  288,  298, 
347,  369  ;  the  Delta,  372,  374,  380. 

Jaolak,  349,  352-354,  361,  362. 

Japan,  1  ;  Japanese  Islands,  1. 

Jeannette,  the  departure  of  from  San  Fran- 
cisco, 2  ;  frozen  in,  7  ;  in  peril,  9,  13  ;  she 
goes  down,  28-31,  194,  199,  244,  458,  476. 
478,  481. 

Judes,  the,  269,  390. 

Jiirgensen,  393,  396. 

Jzere,  316. 

Kaack,  H.  H.,  194,  332,  338-340. 

Kagoastock,  the  river,  329,  347,  365. 

Kamschatka,  1,  380. 

Kane,  Dr.,  464. 

Kangerack,  stancia,  264,  265,  284,  376,  3S1. 

Ka-ra-oo-aloch,  298. 

Karinsk,  390. 

Karranie,  93, 105, 106. 

Kasharofski,     the    Espravnick    of  Verke- 

ransk,   237,  243-245,  247,  261,  283,  316, 

317,  367. 
Kerick,  Starry,  314 ;  Young,  201-203,  314, 

324,  327,  328. 
Ketack,  the  river,  347,  363. 
Keti  (China),  239,  372. 
Kigolak,  313,  351,  352,  363. 
Kingatook,  429,  430. 
King's  Island.  5. 
Kiolutian  Bay,  4,  6. 


Kolinkin,   Peter,  277,  281,  286,  315,351, 

377,  386. 
Kolyma,  the  river,  252,  262,  283,  367,  368, 

374. 
Kolymsk,  262. 
Koobalak,  362,  363. 
Koogoolak,  1S8. 
Kool-Gark-Soak,  373. 
Kotolnoi  Island,  50,  53,  55,  56. 
Kremlin,  the,  at  Moscow,  408. 
KUhne  seaman,  31,  55. 
Kuhn,  Mr.,  403. 
Ku  Mark  Surt,  157,  172,  232,  288,  291-300, 

304-307,  312-319. 
Kurile  Islands,  the,  1. 
Kuro-Si-\\"o,  the,  1,  2. 
Kusma,  (  Germayeff),   the  exile,  135-146  ; 

injustice  done  to,  146,  147,  291,  294,  298, 

316,  369.     Mrs.  Kusma,  140,  142. 
Eyac/c,  the,  426,  433,  447,  458,  466,  467. 

Labrador,  419. 

Lady  Franklin  Bay,  415,  421,  430,  453  ;  Ex- 
pedition, 414  :  list  of  the  victims  of  the, 
469. 

La  Kentie  Shamoola,  193,  201-204,  206, 300, 
303  ;  313-315,  320,  322,  324,  327,  363. 

Lancaster  Strait,  419,  440. 

Larsen,  Mr.,  the  artist,  370,  380,  397,  402. 

Lauterbach,  85,  98,  102, 110,  122. 

Leach,  68,  71,  96,  98,  102,  110,  122,  127, 
135, 143. 

Lead-poisoning,  15. 

Ledyard,  Dr.,  4i  5. 

Lee,  W.,  194,  332,  338-340,  393-395. 

Lemly,  Lieutenant  S.  C,  422. 

Lempert,  Madame,  272,  273,  385. 

Lena,  the  river,  entering  the,  77 ;  sailing 
up  the,  77-109  ;  annual  inundations  of, 
209,  223  ;  the  Oshee,  193,  216,  478. 

Leon,  M.,  the  exile,  237,  243,  247-252,  285, 
317. 

Lievely,  425,  466. 

Life-Boat  Cove,  416,  448,  462. 

Littleton,  Island,  415-418.  421,  429,  440, 
443,  444,  448-450;  457,  462. 

Loch  Garry,  the  iron  transport  steamer, 
421-424,  427-429,  465. 

Lockwood,  Lieutenant,  record  left  by,  451. 

Long,  Sergeant,  452,  453,  456. 

Long  Island,  307,  311,  319,  347,  353,  354. 

Loung,  M.,  the  exile,  248. 

Lowe,  Chief  Engineer,  452. 

Lutke,  3. 

Macha,  213,  320-322  ;  the  Oshee,  320-322. 

MMinki  Pope,  the,  144,  166,  237. 

Malinki  Tomat.  88,  95. 

Malloi,  "Pat,"  350. 

Mammoth,  the  ivory  of  the,  372. 

Manson,  68,  71. 

Mare  Island,  10. 

Markham,  Commander,  475. 

Mat  Vav,  182,  treachery  at,  184-186,  223, 

288.  291,  298,  304-307, 312,  315,  321,  335- 

337! 
Matotchkin,  Strait,  479. 
Maxim  Bottono,  372. 
McClintock,  Sled,  the,  440,  485. 
McGarry  Islands,  the,  448. 
Melivki,  244. 

Melville  Bav,  422,  438,  442-444,  465,  468. 
Melville's  Head,  22. 


496 


INDEX. 


Melville  Sled,  the,  441,  485,  486. 
Meuja,  320  ;  Bulehoi,  320,  324. 
Monument  Hill,  340,  341. 
Mormons,  the,  271. 
Moscow,  408. 

Mosquitoes  on  the  Lena  River,  387. 
Mud  Camp,  the,  84. 
Myack,  the,  205,  331,  372. 

Nares,  Sir  George,  420,  425,  449,  475. 

Narwhal,  the  whaler,  429-443,  463. 

Nassau,  Cape,  479. 

Neptune,  the  steamer,  415,  419,  449,  450. 

Neva,  the  river,  258. 

Newcomb,  Mr.,  83,  84,  95,  102, 125. 

New  Siberia,  the  island  of,  50. 

New  Siberian  Islands,  the,  27,  32,  42,  48. 

New  York,  return  of  Greely  Relief  Expe- 
dition to,  470. 

Niantilisk  Harbor,  464. 

Nicolai,  Geordi,  207,214,  224,  232,  233,  314, 
315,  324,  349,  352-357,  362,  363. 

Nieolai,  Starry,  208.  210,  226,  227,  314,  348. 

Nihilists,  the,  244,  248,  257,  258. 

Nijni  Kolymsk,  283,  367,  374. 

Nijni  Novgorod,  281,  403-406  ;  the  great 
fair  at,  407,  408. 

Nindemann,  W.  F.,  144,  145,  163-16S,  174- 
178,  183,  187, 194,  215,  216,  219,  238,  275, 
278,  281-286,  315,  319-324,  329-334,  337, 
338,  345-349,  398-366,  371,  375. 

"  Noogie  recovitsas,"  192. 

Nordenskjold,  Baron,  4,  5,  6,  277,  482, 
483. 

Norman  Lockyer  Island,  415. 

Norman,  Jas.  W.,  the  ice-pilotof  the  Thetis, 
422,  433,  453,  455. 

Noros,  144,  163-166, 168,  174-178,  183, 194, 
329,  369,  380. 

North  Belun,  186,  188,  1S9-200,  204-210, 
301,  308-314,  347,  363. 

North  Star  Bay,  416,  446,  463. 

North  Water,  the,  439  :  entering  the,  442, 
443,  449,  463. 

Northumberland  Island,  448,  462. 

Norton  Sound,  3,  5,  129, 152. 

Norway,  failure  of  the  Relief  Expedition 
from,  419. 

Nova  Goat,  the,  279. 

Nova  Zembla,  476,  477,  479,  480. 

Nova  Zembla,  the  whaler,  429-443. 

Obi,  the  river,  403,  404. 

Obi  Bute  Yaisia,  213. 

Oceansk,  252,  291,  300,  371-374,  380. 

Olekma,  387. 

Omalai,  300,  307,  391. 

Oo,  oo  !  299. 

Oomiak,  4,  462. 

Order,  the  Administrative,  247. 

Ordono,  312,  313,  365. 

Osoktok,  194,  195,  203,  211-113. 

Palatka,  109, 175, 178,  364. 
Paleocrystic  sea  of  ice,  a,  475,  476. 
Pankratieff  islands,  the,  479,  480. 
Parker  Snow,  Cape,  444. 
Parry,  Cape,  416,  447-449,  462. 
Parry,  Captain,  477,  479. 
Parry's  Harbor,  480. 
Parthia,  the  steamer,  413. 
Pass,  the  Aqueton,  2. 
Passhin,  Gabriilo,  124,  371. 


Patnoggin,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ivan,  287,  315, 

316,  364. 
Paul,  the  Emperor,  410. 
Payer,  Lieutenant,  477,  47S. 
Payer  Harbor,  450,  459. 
Pedoshenko,  Lieutenant-Governor,  392. 
Penavitch,  253,  264,  272. 
Perm,  406. 

Peter  the  Great,  relics  of,  409. 
Peterhof,  410-413. 
Petermann,  the   German   geographer,   78, 

204,  205. 
Petersen,  Governor  Peter,  424,  427,  467. 
Petowick  Glacier,  the,  444. 
Petropavlosk,  258,  409. 
Philadelphia,  396. 
Phillips,  Captain,  439. 
Pioneer,  the  steamer,  386,  388. 
Polaris,  the,  418,  419  ;  old  boat-house  of, 

448. 
Polaris,  Charley,  425. 
Pole,  the  North,  1,  2,  6  ;  proposed  method 

for  reaching,  471-483. 
Polynia,  the  whaler,  429-443. 
Pomree  Moose,  338  ;  dwee  pomree,  336. 
Port  Foulke,  416,  462.    (See  Foulke  Fiord.) 
Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  470. 
Povarnia,  153,  154. 
Praesnik,  276-282. 
Prince  Patrick  Land,  6. 
Prince  Regent  Inlet,  439. 
Pronchishcheff,    Lieutenant,    finding    the 

grave  of,  356-360. 
Proteus,  the  steamer,  415-419,  446,  449. 
Proven,  426,  464. 

Quass,  274. 

Qu  Vina,  218,  219,  222,  226,  245,  312,  323, 
337,  351. 

Race,  Cape,  423. 

Ray,  Lieutenant,  415. 

Red  Fiend,  the.     (See  Yapheme  Copaloff.) 

Reindeer  teams,  159-161 ;  native  mode  of 

hunting,  the,  131, 132. 
Rice,  Sergeant,  458. 
Rittenbenck,  426. 
Rodgers,  the  relief  ship,  350,  367. 
Ross,  Sergeant,  455. 
Russia,  246,  248,  249,  257,  405-413. 
Russia,  Little,  254. 

Sabas,  Kokoo,  352. 

Sabine,  Cape,  415-417,  449-451,  457. 

Sagastvr,  205. 

Sam,  Ah,  the  Chinese  cook,  332-335,  337, 

343. 
San  Francisco,  2  ;  Yacht  Club,  2,  40. 
Saunders  Island,  416,  439,  446,  447. 
Sava,  352. 

Scaups,  the,  270,  271,  278,  390. 
Schley,   Commander,  W.  S.,  421,  422,  430, 

441-443,  449,  450,  452,  453,  457,  459. 
Schoolmaster,  the,  at  Disco,  425,  426. 
Schuetze,  Lieutenant,  369,  373,  3S5,  338. 
Scot,  a  sturdy,  431,  432. 
Scurvy,  15,  103,  127. 
Sebree,  Lieutenant  Uriel,  422,  436,  453 
Seniilikoff ,  302. 
Serdzekamen,  Cape,  5. 
Seven  Islands,  the,  480. 
Shakers,  the  American,  270. 
Sharvell,  17-19,  22,  25. 


INDEX. 


497 


Shumomea,  372. 

Siberia,  the  sleds  of,  151-153  ;  the  Siberian 
ice-cellar,  107. 

Siberian  scenery,  262  ;  horses  and  cattle  of, 
263,  379  ;  the  commune  system  of,  399 ; 
American  steamboats  in,  406-408,  478, 
482. 

Signalthorp,  205. 

Silenikoff ,  Alexander,  390,  398. 

Silver  Bay,  479. 

Simeon  Tomat,  343. 

Simonoski  Island,  50,  60,  61. 

Sing,  Charley  Tong,  72,  125,  422. 

Sister  Ganak,  16,  3^2,  323. 

Sleighs,  the  place  of  the,  168, 179,  183. 

Smith,  Leigh,  478,  479. 

Smith  Sound,  416,  421. 

Snow,  sleeping  in  the,  180, 1S8,  225. 

Snyder,  Private^  460. 

Soldat,  Malinki ,  244  ;  the  brave  soldatski, 
345-347. 

South  Goose  Cape,  479. 

Spear,  Cape,  423. 

Spiridon,  105,  106,  139-140,  295,  307,  308, 
366. 

Spitzbergen,  384,  419,  476-480. 

Stalknecht  Island,  450,  451,  459. 

Stancias,  262,  265,  272. 

St.  John's,  N.  F.,  417,  422,  423,  466-470. 

St.  Lawrence  Bay,  318,  367, 

St.  Michael's,  3. 

Stolboi  Island,  50,  56,  59. 

Stolboi  (stolb)  the  mountain,  182,  313,  324, 
329,  331. 

Storm,  an  Arctic,  297-307. 

St.  Petersburg,  357,  408  ;  "  Hotel  Europe," 
reception  by  Minister  Hunt,  a  drive  along 
the  Neva,  at  the  Hermitage,  409 ;  Ca- 
thedral of  St.  Isaacs,  etc.,  410,  413. 

Sucrce,  278. 

Supper,  offal  for,  187,  220-222. 

Sweetman,  the  ship  carpenter,  394. 

Syphilis,  119. 

Tallega,  the,  391,  398. 

Tallowguil,373. 

Tamoose,  138,  139,  149,  153,  290,  291,  367- 

369. 
Tara  Janga,  363. 
Tarantass,  the,  391. 
Tarrahue,  140,  371. 
Tas  Arii,  305,  321. 
Tassusisack,  426,  433,  434. 
Taunt,  Lieutenant  Emory,  422,  450-452. 
Tch-ol-booje,  193. 
Tchuchees,  the,  3,  88  ;  revolting  habits  of, 

318. 
Ten-day  Camp,  the,  50,  54,  82. 
Thadeouiski,  50,  51,  55. 
Thegetoff,  the  crew  of  the,  32,  477,  478. 
Thetis,  the  steamer,  396,  420-424,  428,  430, 

433  ;  nipped,  435-437  ;    racing,  441-443, 

448,  451,  459,  463,  465,  466. 
Thunder    and    lightning,  absence    of,   in 

Arctic  Ocean,  302,  303. 
Tigress,  the,  419,  464. 
Tit  Arii,  144,  321. 
Tobias,  old,  396. 
Tobolsk,  403,  404. 
Tomat  Constantino,  168,  174,  179-191, 195, 

203,  206,  207,  214,  226,  234,  288,  304,  315, 

319,  324,  365. 


i  Tomb-Cairn,  the,  340-345  ;  desecration  of, 
370. 

Tomsk,  398,  399,  402;  the  Governor  of, 
403;  "Hotel  Europe,"  and  "  Hotel  Mil- 
lion Siberie,"  402,  403. 

Triune,  the  whaler,  429^43. 

Tschernaieft',  General  George,  118, 135,  147, 
166,  243,  253,  271,  273-283,  304,  337,  351, 
356,  368,  385,  386. 

Tuamen,  404,405. 

Tundra,  131,  240,  290,  372,  373. 

Tunguses,  the,  129,  199,  207,  266,  395,  306; 
well  behaved  babies,  383. 

Turak,  347,  352-354  ;  the  river,  362. 

Turkanach,  310,  366. 

Tzarensky,  247. 

Unalaska,  2,  3, 100. 
Upernavik,  422,  426-429,  465,  466. 
Ural  Mountains,  crossing  the,  405. 
Usterda,  194-195,  198,  200,  213-215,  219, 
238,  319-324. 

Vasilli  Kool  Gar,  93,  98-106, 140, 148-159, 

162,  171,  178-191,  201,  296,  297,  307,  309, 
312,  315,  348,  349,  365. 

Vega,  the,  4,  5. 

Verkeransk,    237.   239,  240-262,   265,   271, 
272,  283,  284,  316,  317,  367,  368,  373-375. 
Vitim,  385,  386. 
Vladivostock,  112. 

Vodki,  92,  243,  244,  259,  264,  274,  275,  278. 
Volga,  the  river,  406. 
Vos  Crusina,  221,  222. 

Waigatt  Strait,  428. 

Waldraper,  Mr.,  405. 

Wales,  Cape  Prince  of,  68. 

Walker,  Captain,  429,  430,  444. 

Washing,  the  Yakut  mode  of,  119,  196. 

Wasilli,  the  island  of,  50,  61. 

Watch,  the  story  of  my,  393-396. 

Wave,  a  frozen,  12,  13. 

Wevprecht,  Lieutenant,  477,  478. 

Whale-boat,  the,  voyage  of,  66-124, 135. 

Whale  Sound,  447,  448. 

Wilcox  Head,  439. 

Wilczek,  island  of,  477. 

Wilde,  Captain,  417. 

Willa-wa,  the,  85,  355,  357. 

Wilson,  96,  135. 

Wolf,  the  whaler,  428-443. 

Woostenholm  Island,  446,  449,  463. 

Wrangel  Land,  6,  8,  9,  14,  367. 

Yakuts,  the,  114 ;   blindness  among,  118, 

163,  318. 
Yakutsk,  at,  272-283. 

Yamshicks,.  the,  264,  267,  284,  298,  381, 

401. 
Yantic,  the  XJ    S.  steamer,  416-419,  449. 
Yapheme  Copaloff,  the  "  Red  Fiend,"  109, 

112,  121,  126,  129,  135,  304,  313,  315,  319, 

324  ;  his  valor,  345-347,  371,  375,  385. 
Yawrta,  115,  249,  272. 
Yenesei,  the  river,  398. 
Yewell,  seaman,  451. 
York,  Cape,  416-418,  421,  422,  439-445, 

465. 

Zack,  the  exile,  248 
Zevesdas,  the,  358. 


Books  of  Travel  and  Description 

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HOUGHTON,  MIFFLIN  AND    COMPANY, 

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Africa.    Vol.  XXIV.  of  "  Poems  of  Places."    Edited 

by  H.  W.  Longfellow.     "Little  Classic"  style.     i8mo,  $1.00. 

My  Winter   on   the   Nile.     By   Charles   Dudley 

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Seven  Years  in   South  Africa.     By  Emil   Holub. 

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hundred  Illustrations,  and  Maps.  Translated  by  Ellen  E.  Frewer. 
In  two  volumes,  8vo,  $10.00. 

To  the  Central  African  Lakes  and  Back.    By  Joseph 

Thomson.  The  Narrative  of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society's 
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Map.     In  two  volumes,  8vo,  $6.00. 

British  America. 
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A  Yankee   in   Canada.     By  Henry   D.  Thoreau. 

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Hyperion.     A  Romance.     By  H.  W.  Longfellow. 

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England  Without  and  Within.  By  Richard  Grant 
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